New broadband report reveals £20 return on every £1 spent

Written by BUSINESS DESK Cambridge News

For every £1 the Government is investing in broadband, the UK economy will benefit by £20, an expert report published today reveals.

UK Broadband Impact Study – Impact Report, by analysts SQW (with Cambridge Econometrics) says the Government’s investment in superfast broadband will deliver a major boost to the UK economy.

The report also shows that in addition to offering outstanding value for taxpayer money the roll-out of superfast broadband nationwide will also make a real impact on the way we live - from working at home to watching TV online.

The study is the most in-depth and rigorous examination of the impact of broadband in the UK, and looks at the economic, environmental and social benefits of superfast broadband.

As well as the return on every £1, key findings include: significant short-term boost to the UK economy as the network construction adds around £1.5 billion to the economy; adding £0.5 billion and about 11,000 jobs in 2014 alone; long-term growth to the UK economy with public investment increasing annual GVA by £6.3 billion and causing a net increase of 20,000 jobs in the UK by 2024; household savings of £45 million a year by 2024 made through people being able to work from home more.

Also, benefits to be shared across the UK, helping the rebalancing of our economy. Approximately 89 per cent of the benefits will be in areas outside London and the South East of England with rural areas set to benefit most; and around 0.4 million tonnes a year of CO2e savings through reduced commuting, business travel and firms shifting to more energy-efficient cloud computing.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Maria Miller said: “What this report shows us is that as well as superfast broadband being good for economic growth it will make even more of a positive impact on the way we live, helping us work more productively and get online faster.

“Our broadband rollout is one of the best in Europe with almost three quarters of the UK able to access superfast speeds. This is making a real difference to people in communities across the UK from small businesses able to expand, school children being able to log on to do their homework or people being able to work from home. This investment in technology is vital for our future and will help Britain continue to compete in the global race and improve the way we live and work.”

Dr Pantelis Koutroumpis, advisor of the Broadband Impact Report said: “Looking at the evolution of broadband speeds in different geographies, and the on-going network deployments across the UK, this study brings new insights into the impact of improved broadband access on the national and local economies.

“Notably, the added capacity particularly affects small and medium businesses across industries, while the intervention helps address a growing digital divide. This motivates further research in the future as more empirical data become available - for example, in the relationship between business speed increases and productivity growth.”
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