Industry news

US launches broadband stimulus

The US government has implemented part of its economic recovery plans, investing over $4 billion (2.4 billion) in a package of measures designed to boost the high bandwidth internet market.

President Barack Obama's fiscal stimulus proposals included the funding to improve high bandwidth internet access across the country as part of an effort to increase take-up of new technologies such as Voice-over Internet Protocol solutions among businesses.

The president hopes that the initiative will help increase the competitiveness of US businesses on the global stage, thereby improving the US economy and helping the country to move out of recession.

This latest investment in high bandwidth technology will form the first of three rounds of programmes being developed in the US that are designed to stimulate growth in the broadband sector over the next two years.

In the UK, the government has launched plans for the roll-out of broadband access of at least two megabits per second to every internet connection in the country by 2012.

The scheme is also aimed at boosting competitiveness of British businesses and helping the country move out of recession.