A new initiative by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), which addresses the development of Ultra Fast Broadband, looks set to be accelerated following the start of over a dozen innovative research and development feasibility projects. The result could be a major change in the way that businesses operate across the world.
TSB, the organisation that drives technological innovation in the UK, is investing £1 M to help companies carry out initial research that will ultimately lead to the introduction of Internet access technology with speeds of between 1 and 10Gb/s-100 to 1,000 times faster than current broadband speeds.
The feasibility projects-each costing between £30,000 and £100,000-will, in turn, help establish European collaborations that will participate in larger EU-funded research and development initiatives. The ultimate aim, the development of pan-European Ultra Fast Broadband, could see European companies gaining a massive competitive advantage on a global scale.
Commenting on the decision to fund the projects, Mike Biddle, lead technologist at the Technology Strategy Board, said, "The challenge is to identify ways to address the technical issues facing the introduction of Ultra Fast Broadband within the next decade and to build European collaborations to exploit the technology, while generating wealth for the UK. Our intention in providing this funding is to help British companies establish future European collaborations that will participate in larger EU funding initiatives."