Original post by Juliette Garside via guardian
Jeremy Hunt has pledged to give creative industries a shot in the arm by ensuring Britain has the fastest broadband network of any major European country by 2015.
The culture secretary’s commitment marks a firming up of the government’s original target to create the best superfast broadband network in Europe by the end of this parliament, and follows a House of Lords report into the national broadband strategy published last month.
“To really be the best you need to be the fastest,” Hunt told broadband experts at Silicon Roundabout, the area around Old Street on the fringes of the City of London where many technology firms and startups are based.
“I am today announcing an ambition to be not just the best overall, but specifically the fastest broadband of any major European country.
“Getting the plumbing right for our digital economy is not just an advantage to consumers – it is also essential for our digital and creative industries, all of whom need reliable high-speed networks to develop and export their products as they move large digital files around the world”.
Industries where Britain excels, such as television, music, animation and video games, were reliant on good broadband, he said. The UK has the world’s largest independent television sector and is the world’s second largest music exporter.
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