Big Broadband plans for Europe
May 20th, 2010
The European Union has developed a plan in order to get half of European households on broadband speeds by 2020, a report by the BBC has stated.
It is part of the European Union’s five year plan for the digital economy.
The plan also aims to have half of Europeans shopping online by 2015.
Neelie Kroes, the new digital affairs commissioner announced the agenda in order to boost Europe technological and digital advancement, helping it catch up with the USA.
As it stands, the US currently invests 40% more in technology than the EU.
Nearly a third of Europeans have never used the internet and only 1% has access to fibre-based high-speed networks.
In order to catch up, EU governments must double their annual spending on research and development to 11bn euros (£9.4bn) by 2020.
The developments in the EU’s digital progression will involve around 30 new laws being introduced, aiming to cut restrictions, increase the use of electronic payments, and make the internet more accessible for everyone, adhering to the European Parliament’s pledge to overhaul telecoms law and establish internet access as a fundamental right.
By Anna Pearce
