With Internet access now viewed as a human right and companies increasingly reliant on it to do business, a capable broadband connection is an important asset to have. As ISPReview reports, a leaked draft of a new paper from the European Commission reveals Europe is moving towards becoming a “Gigabit Society” where ultrafast broadband is the norm.
Under the current Digital Agenda for Europe plan, the EC seeks to provide every home in the EU with “Next Generation Access” 30Mbps broadband. It is aiming to get 100Mbps connections rolled out to 50 percent of the population by 2020.
The leaked report reveals the EC is expanding on that aim. The revised agenda includes a clause stating “all European households” should be able to obtain a minimum download speed of 100Mbps by 2025.
For businesses, public buildings and schools, the EC wants even more capable connections to be installed. Where possible and cost effective, these places should be covered by 1Gbps symmetrical download and upload links by 2025. This would create a “Digital Single Market” enabling effective online connectivity, interaction and commerce.
As with other iterations of the Digital Agenda, the latest draft merely sets targets to guide infrastructure improvements. Whether the goal is actually met will depend on the individual rollouts in each EU member state.
Some countries are further along the path to universal superfast broadband than others. Providing every home with 100Mbps download speeds over the next nine years could prove to be a challenge in remote regions where infrastructure is currently limited.
The importance of the internet to society and global economies is now being realised by world leaders. The EC is placing the creation of the “Gigabit Society” as an important part of its plan over the next decade, seeing it as a way to promote growth in industries across Europe.
“Ubiquitous, very high-capacity fixed and mobile broadband infrastructures are necessary for Europe to develop and adopt the advanced digital products and services required for its global competitiveness and at the core of many aspects of our lives,” the EC wrote in its report, leaked by news site EurActive.com. “The Digital Single Market will not release its full potential, or will only happen for a privileged few, without very high-capacity networks across Europe. They have now become the digital arteries of the economy, enabling the growth of other sectors throughout the economy.”
If the targets can be met then the state of Europe’s broadband networks could be greatly improved within the next 10 years. The EC also wants to introduce new targets for the rollout of 5G mobile networks, specifying that at least one city in each EU member state should have access to 5G by 2020.
By 2025, 5G should be available in every urban center across the European Union. Transport paths will also be covered by uninterrupted 5G coverage, allowing you to obtain a mobile signal wherever you are and access the internet while on the go.
