UK’s ISP body concerned over Johnson’s ‘difficult to achieve’ gigabit broadband pledge

The UK’s Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has cast fresh doubts over prime minister Boris Johnson’s plan to have superfast broadband reach every British home by 2025.

According to a report from Mail on Sunday, the ISPA has said that the £30 billion project to connect all homes with 1Gbps broadband would require the cooperation from all parties, including government officials and regulators.

The plan has already been seriously affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and could be further disrupted should Huawei be stripped of its network.

Andrew Glover, chairman of the ISPA, said: “Despite the guidance being clear from the government that network building could continue during lockdown, this was interpreted differently across regions and local authorities, with the result being that rollout plans in numerous areas were delayed or put on hold.

“Delays through Covid, possible disruptions of the availability of skills and potential disruptions to the supply chain all make the government’s 2025 ambition more difficult to achieve, which is why the Government needs to step up its support.”