The UK Government has announced the latest tranche of funding for the broadband rollout, which comes as part of the flagship £5 billion Project Gigabit programme.
Reacting to the news, Kevin Monaghan, Chief Commercial Officer of Complete Technology Group, has commented on why the investment will be misplaced if more attention is not paid to the startling lack of awareness and education for consumers about Full Fibre and what it means.
Kevin Monaghan, Chief Commercial Officer of Complete Technology Group, said: “The Government is, of course , right to invest further in ensuring rural areas have access high-speed broadband. But the return on investment is what counts – can contracts be fulfilled, and will the funding make a significant impact in boosting digital connectivity across the UK.
“A balance must also be struck between rural and urban areas; it’s easy to assume that efforts must be focused on the former to connect hard-to-reach places, but there remain major issues in urban areas where swathes of people still live without reliable broadband. The difficult economic conditions of the past four years – a pandemic, cost-of-living crisis and interest rates spike – have exacerbated the issue, resulting in building works and digital infrastructure projects stalling.
“Digital connectivity is essential for consumers and businesses today, as the Government says, but we must also acknowledge that injecting more money into the broadband rollout will not tackle the lack of awareness that is heavily impacting take-up. Full Fibre, lightning fast, superfast, ultrafast – working directly with landlords and residents, we know that a notable proportion of people are confused by this sort of industry jargon, in turn hindering take-up.
“It’s crucial the Government works with the telecoms sector to implement a nationwide education programme so consumers can make informed decision about broadband services and providers. Simply plumbing in the infrastructure is not enough; digital connectivity will only be achieved when there is greater awareness among consumers on the value it provides, and how to navigate the broadband market with confidence.”
