UK Broadband Petition - Please Help!

Hi everyone,

I've created a petition on the UK Government's E-Petition site calling on the UK Government to scrap the plans for the High Speed Rail (HS2) project in favour of a true national fibre broadband (FTTP) network that would benefit the whole of the UK and not just cities.

I'm sure there are members that would disagree with the petition but for those of you that agree with it please visit http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/54002 to sign the petition (1 vote per UK resident).

Many Thanks

Do you know how HS2 is to be funded, and how do you propose to fund FTTP within the EU's rules on State Aid (ie the law)

Scrap HS2 because it is a blot on the landscape and the budget will spiral out of control but surely there's no relationship to FTTP?

Both potentially involve lots of civil engineering, heavy stuff for HS2, just the vast quantities to do a FTTP roll-out, particularly if national and NOT involving Openreach network.

Seriously doubt EU would allow Gov funding for a national roll-out, just after we spent a chunk of superfast. Unless what that delivers can in no way meet the needs in 2018-2020.

By the time HS2 is completed I expect that the need for expenses-paid same-day or 2-day trips for conferences etc will no longer be required. There is no other way to pay the likely fares except on expenses. An excellent nationalised and nationally funded hyper-BB network would ensure the need to travel is reduced further. By 2030 work from home, except for manufacture and other hands-on-services, will be the norm. Rail journeys will be taken up increasingly for leisure and freight. I suggest that any money spent on rail should be to reverse many of the Beeching cuts thus enabling rural areas and small towns to have access to the rail network without having to depend on cars, non-existent bus services and road freight.

Yes, both HS2 and hyper-BB require heavy engineering work, but once the cable is laid it ends up underground just like the gas network.

I have signed the petition. Placed on FB.

Edited by deleted (Wed 21-Aug-13 21:53:13)

Thousands of people have been working from home for many years. Bandwidth requirements vary but a few meg is OK for many. It is incorrect to assume that 1G FTTP is needed for home working when FTTC will give sufficient speed for the majority.

And also scrap Europe.

In reply to a post by roughbeast:

I suggest that any money spent on rail should be to reverse many of the Beeching cuts thus enabling rural areas and small towns to have access to the rail network without having to depend on cars, non-existent bus services and road freight.

Why, in the absence of rail services, are the bus services non-existent?

Mainly because the routes are under used the bus company scraps them or reduces the number of trips but this is caused by the use of the personal car as its more convient.

Edited by deleted (Thu 22-Aug-13 00:19:03)

Ah, but I'd like to see roughbeast's explanation. Read the quote from his post very carefully .