Salford telecoms giant TalkTalk has warned that up to a third of people in the UK could be left without superfast broadband unless the government and Ofcom act.
According to a Frontier Economics report commissioned by the company, one quarter of the population will still be on slower, copper internet connections by 2030.
It added that many customers do not see the benefits of upgrading to fibre networks, and that consumers worry it could cause them internet problems in the short term, as well as costing more.
The findings from Frontier Economics show that even once full fibre roll-out has reached the whole of the UK, “there will remain a significant number who do not take up the new technology as they are not currently motivated to do so and too many barriers currently exist.”
TalkTalk CEO Tristia Harrison said: “It’s time to put the consumer first when it comes to the full fibre revolution. It has never been more important for the whole country to have access to fast reliable and affordable connectivity and without action, up to a third will be left behind.
“It’s in all our interests – government, ISPs and network operators – for consumers to migrate quickly and smoothly. We look forward to working with industry, policymakers and regulators to ensure that fast, reliable, affordable connectivity is a reality for everyone.”
The report adds: “Policymakers cannot assume that the successful rollout of FTTP will lead to the full socioeconomic benefits that FTTP is expected to deliver. The risk of a persistent FTTP take-up gap should not be ignored and warrants proactive approach to stimulating FTTP migration.”
