Awareness improvements vital to boost UK gigabit rollout
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Joseph O'Halloran
| 16 June 2021
A report by the Gigabit Take-up Advisory Group (GigaTAG) is warning that the UK’s ability to capitalise on the rollout of next-generation gigabit broadband is at risk because too few consumers are aware of the technology and its benefits.
openreach engineer 30Dec2020
The Gigabit Take-up Advisory Group: Final Report noted that with a £5 billion Project Gigabit investment from the government, alongside industry investment, the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband is gathering pace. Indeed, the major players such as Openreach and the newly created Virgin Media O2 and also altnets such as Community Fibre have accelerated rollout of fibre and other gigabit networks across the UK.

GigaTAG said access to a fast and reliable broadband connection has become a vital part of everyday life for consumers and the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband should ensure the UK’s infrastructure can continue to meet demand for services such as high-quality video for years to come. Moreover, low demand for these better services could hinder the government’s ambition for at least 85% of the UK to have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2025.

The report highlighted the worrying fact that even though there has been a slew of adverts from broadband providers extolling the merits of their fastest services, the report found that almost three-fifths (59%) of consumers were not aware of gigabit-capable broadband, and a third (33%) of small and micro businesses had not heard of gigabit-capable broadband.

The report identifies affordability as a key barrier to the adoption of gigabit-capable broadband for low-income households, with research revealing just more than two-fifths (44%) of those in a low-income household citing it as an issue. Also, among the barriers identified in the report is the low willingness among consumers to pay more, with only around one in five (21%) people willing to pay more for gigabit-capable broadband, and a lack of understanding of the benefits, with two in five (41%) unclear about how it differs from their current package.

In a call to action, the Gigabit Take-up Advisory Group: Final ReportGigabit Take-up Advisory Group: Final Report called on UK communications and broadcast regulator Ofcom and the broadband industry to work together on clear and common terminology to cut through advertising jargon and describe gigabit broadband and its benefits in straightforward terms. And as part of working to improve the clarity of information, it proposed Ofcom should consider the role a “gigabit-ready” labelling scheme could play in increasing consumers’ and businesses' understanding of gigabit-capable broadband.