The government has reaffirmed previously announced commitments to invest in the funding of rural broadband roll-out and 5G mobile networks as a means to keep the UK economy moving in its newly published post-Brexit strategy plan.
The government’s greenpaper Building our Industrial Strategy touched on a number of areas that will impact the ICT sector, including research and development and Stem education, as well as digital infrastructure, which it included alongside plans for road and rail.
“Our modern industrial strategy is a critical part of our plan for post-Brexit Britain. It will help to deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society – where wealth and opportunity are spread across every community in our United Kingdom, not just the most prosperous places in London and the South East,” wrote prime minister Theresa May in the greenpaper’s introduction.
In the greenpaper, the government said good digital infrastructure opened up opportunities for growth through better-connected businesses and customers, citing research that suggested increasing broadband speeds could add £17bn per annum to UK output.
“Improvements to digital infrastructure will be felt most in rural areas. Supporting the roll-out of fast broadband in rural areas enables new business to locate and grow there. It is estimated that an increase in broadband penetration of 10% yields 0.25% increase in GDP growth,” it added.
In line with plans set out by chancellor Philip Hammond in the November 2016 Autumn Statement , the government reconfirmed an investment of £400m in a digital infrastructure investment fund to boost commercial financing for emerging small fibre broadband providers, or altnets.
