Newsdesk 13/12/07 - Auction for 'digital dividend'

Ofcom have launched a multi-billion pound auction of airwaves for a new wave of digital services.
This could mean that during the next decade, ultra-fast wireless broadband and many more digital channels could become available as radio spectrum is freed during the digital switchover. The regulator has said that the market will decide how the spectrum is used with an open auction.
The BBC, Channel 4 and ITV had pressed for ring-fenced space for high definition TV over Freeview.
Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said the decision to opt for a "market-led approach" was "one of the most important decisions we have ever made".

The regulator has packaged the available spectrum into key uses:

*National digital terrestrial TV in high or standard definition
*Cognitive radio - a new wireless technology which can deliver broadband
*High-speed mobile broadband and mobile TV
*Local television - 25 new local TV stations across the UK

Ofcom said HD television remained a "premium" service. HD For All has now said it supports Ofcom's position and has agreed to deliver HD on Freeview by 2012.

Newsdesk 07/12/07 : Broadband Division

At this current time, people that live in the country have much less of a choice in broadband provider and are a lot more likely to get slower speeds, while paying for it at different prices to friends and family that live in the cities. With the new introduction of super-fast broadband looking to be introduced, it looks like things may get a lot worse for people living outside of the city.

It looks like it may be decades before they can create the same coverage for those living in rural areas for those closer to the city.

"There is going to have to be an acceptance that broadband will be faster in the cities. The model of equal access will have to be adapted," said Ian Fogg, an analyst with Jupiter Research. He added: "Fibre costs such a fortune to roll out that it may take decades to get to ubiquitous coverage in rural areas."

Next year looks set to have the introduction of "ADSL2+", which promises speeds of upto 24mb, but like ADSL, it will be dependant on how close to the exchange you live.