Netimperative yesterday reported that there are now more broadband Internet users than dial-up Internet users in the United Kingdom. It reported that new figures released by BT Group show that, there are now more than 7.4 million broadband customers (including those of BT’s competitors) in the UK and that broadband connections are now accessible to 99.6% of the UK population.
The UK joins South Korea as redominately broadband nations.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has launched an initiative, i2010: European Information Society 2010, that hopes to foster growth and jobs in Europe’s information society and media industries. The Commission is in particular keen to promote high-speed and secure broadband networks offering rich and diverse content in Europe, reports EU Business.
To support technological convergence with ‘policy convergence’, the Commission will propose: an efficient spectrum management policy in Europe (2005); a modernisation of the rules on audiovisual media services (end 2005); an updating of the regulatory framework for electronic communications (2006); a strategy for a secure information society (2006); and a comprehensive approach for effective and interoperable digital rights management (2006/2007).
Critics often rap the European Commission as bureaucratic, but these initiatives seem to be more than the U.S. Federal Communication Commission is doing.