BBC NEWS | Technology | All of UK on broadband 'by 2005'
BT promise the Broadband equivalent of the earth when they suggest that they will provide access for all by 2005, although note the caveat that this will need to be in partnership with others (e.g. private and public partnerships).
The issue is about stimulating demand for broadband, and for me it is a local issue more than a national one," said Ms Ritchie, BT's chief broadband officer.
"It's about making broadband relevant to business and consumers."
BT said these communities could use alternative technologies, such as wireless broadband, or satellite technologies.
The intriguing question here is whether such an infrastructure is a supply side or demand side issue (for those of you with a non-economic background - whether companies produce the service so that people want to buy it (supply) or whether people demand it so that companies want to produce it (demand).
BT seem to suggest both (not unreasonably) in that they seem to contend that its about stimulating demand - i.e. giving customers a reason to buy broadband and yet also want local areas to stimulate supply by forming partnerships with them to provide it. Note there is an emphasis on everyone but BT doing this (but then I am slightly biased) although exactly what and how is left to the imagination.
Broadband does provide massive opportunities for undertaking so many differnet activites, some of which you can do now like blogging, mobile blogging, talking to people across the world by chat, video conference, IP /Internet telephony. There are also others that we are not quite ready for yet like Video on demand over IP (watch any film with video / PVR functionality).
The more interesting aspects for me fall into the category of social software whether at an invidiual or community level, and I think it is these things that can assist in creating demand and supply, and ultimately give perhaps, econommic benefits to rural locations from Broadband access. But I agree with Alison on this one, we aren't there yet.