The British government outlined plans Thursday to bring broadband to every home in Britain by 2012, and proposed new ways to support the music industry and other media businesses by cracking down on online piracy.
Stephen Carter, the communications minister, is eager for the media, telecommunications and technology sectors to pick up part of the slack as other important parts of the British economy, including financial services, go into reverse. By 2012, the government said in a report, 20 percent of all commerce in Britain will occur online.
“There is no sector, with the possible exception of energy, that the rest of the economy depends upon more than this one,” Carter told reporters in London.
The government wants to make broadband a universal service like television, using fixed-line and wireless technologies to make this possible. Currently about 60 percent of British households have broadband.
The report makes frequent reference to President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan, which includes billions of dollars in public money for expanding access to broadband. But the British report emphasizes the role of the private sector, calling for steps to remove barriers to further investments.
Matthew Howett, an analyst at Ovum, a telecommunications consulting firm, criticized the report for lacking details on how its goals might be achieved.
“The government must ensure that ‘Digital Britain’ doesn’t become merely a series of reviews, reports and consultations,” he said.
To try to curb unauthorized file-sharing, which the music industry blames for its woes, the report recommends requiring Internet service providers to send warning letters to persistent pirates.
Some British Internet providers have already sent such letters under a voluntary agreement. Under the proposal outlined Thursday, they would be required by law to do so. Internet providers would also be required to turn over personal details of repeat offenders to rights holders, like music companies, so that…