FTTA broadband "would save the UK billions"

New technology that transmits fibre optic broadband speeds without the use of wires has been tipped to save the UK "billions" of pounds.

Writing for Computing, Brett Farrell - an associate at law firm Barlow Robbins LLP - praised the fibre-through-the-air (FTTA) service developed by French telecoms company Bluwan.

The facility could be particularly useful in locations that are in remote or hard-to-access parts of the UK, he argued, while the taxpayer would also be in line to benefit from FTTA as a result of the lower cost of rolling it out.

As a result, Mr Farrell urged culture secretary Jeremy Hunt and Broadband Delivery UK - a body created as a delivery vehicle for the government's policies on improving fast internet access - to compare the service to traditional fibre optic products.

"Not only is FTTA a viable option, it is also extremely attractive and would save the UK billions," he argued.

The technology has also been praised by Rory Stewart, MP for Penrith and the Border, who told Computer Weekly that it could play a "key role" in bringing super-fast broadband to rural areas.