Ex-BT chief warns super-fast broadband strategy lacks vision

The government's super-fast broadband strategy lacks a clear vision, former BT chief technology officer Peter Cochrane has warned.

Speaking to Computing, Mr Cochrane claimed the Broadband Delivery UK process has no vision, mission or plan. "It has no idea what the UK is going to be when we grow up as a nation in the next 20 years," he insisted.

The ex-BT man said the UK compares unfavourably with many south-east Asian nations, which have five-year broadband planning cycles and are acutely aware of the level of connectivity they want to achieve within the next two decades.

Instead of this measured approach, the Conservative-led coalition has no plans for the country as a whole, leaving the nation "randomly walking into the future", he argued.

Mr Cochrane called on the government to create a business plan detailing its super-fast broadband strategy to avoid making decisions that are "extremely expensive" and "wasting vast amounts of money".

Earlier this year, the tech expert told the House of Lords Communications Committee that at least £15 billion must be invested in the UK's broadband infrastructure to redress the "great decline" in broadband speeds comparative to other developed countries.