Fibre optic broadband study could boost internet speeds

Scientists will look at how fibre optic cable broadband functions as part of a government-backed project that could make the internet 100 times faster.

Some £7.2 million has been pledged for the six-year Photonics HyperHighway initiative, carried out by the universities of Southampton and Essex, which intends to develop new devices and materials that will increase bandwidth.

It is hoped that this will enable the web to cope with the ever-increasing number of broadband subscribers, as well as the surge in the number of people using bandwidth-heavy services such as internet-connected TV and music downloads.

David Willetts, minister for universities and science, said: "The Photonics HyperHighway project has the potential to truly revolutionise the internet, making it much faster and more energy-efficient.

"I look forward to the exciting breakthroughs it will bring."

According to telecoms watchdog Ofcom, the average download speed in the UK in May 2010 stood at 5.2Mbps, up from 4.1Mbps in April 2009.