BBC to subsidise super-fast broadband

The BBC could be made to pay for the bandwidth it uses, Lord Carter has claimed.

According to the former head of Ofcom, the BBC could help subsidise the high-speed broadband network that is to reach every home in Britain by 2012.

Only half of the UK population will benefit from next generation broadband technology installed by BT and Virgin, but it has been suggested that The BBC could pay for building out broadband networks to rural communities.

The BBC’s video on demand service, iPlayer, will encourage broadband adoption and the broadcaster has announced its intention to create a high-definition version which would increase its bandwidth demands.

Lord Carter commented, “More and more people get their media from the internet and that usage is doubling every two years. Would the [BBC] have a role in this? It would seem to me it would.”

Part of the funding could come from the BBC’s annual GBP3.5bn (USD4.8bn) licence fee endowment, though the government may also look to fixed-line and mobile phone operators to shoulder some of the costs.

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