Jeremy Hunt says he will ensure Britain has the fastest broadband network of any major European country by 2015 in a pledge to the UK's digital and creative industries.
"To really be the best you need to be the fastest," Hunt told broadband experts at tech firms around London's Silicon Roundabout on Old Street.
"I am today announcing an ambition to be not just the best overall, but specifically the fastest broadband of any major European country.
"Getting the plumbing right for our digital economy is not just an advantage to consumers – it is also essential for our digital and creative industries, all of whom need reliable high-speed networks to develop and export their products as they move large digital files around the world," he added.
Britain is currently ranked 15th in Europe in the quarterly speed league table by web technology company Akamai, behind countries such as Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, but ahead of France, Italy and Spain.
The government is also aiming for 90% of the country to have access to superfast services – defined as 24Mb per second or more – by 2015, with the final 10% receiving no less than 2Mb.
Source: The Guardian
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