European Parliament committee backs fibre broadband boost

The European Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee has backed calls for a major boost in ultra-fast fibre optic broadband provision over the next eight years.

On Monday (November 5th 2012), the committee approved plans to bring speeds of 100Mbps to every home and business in Europe by 2020, with 1Gbps capabilities to be available to 50 per cent of EU households by the same point.

Gunnar Hokmark MEP, vice chairman of the European People's Party Group and shadow rapporteur for the report on trans-European telecommunications networks, hailed the organisation's decision to back the "ambitious approach".

He went on to stress the importance of ensuring high-speed broadband connectivity is not only reserved for urban communities.

"Ambitious speed criteria for broadband deployment in rural areas will help bridge the digital divide and make the whole EU competitive," Mr Hokmark explained.

By investing in the technology, economic growth and new services will be created in the EU rather than regions such as North America and Asia, the MEP added.