Virgin Media exec celebrates UK broadband

The UK offers some of the cheapest broadband services of any European nation, according to Matt Rogerson of Virgin Media.

Speaking at a Westminster eForum, the cable company's head of public affairs and policy acknowledged it is easy to take the view that Britain is well behind its continental and Far Eastern rivals with regards to broadband infrastructure.

But despite this attitude, Mr Rogerson argued there is actually plenty to "celebrate" about broadband services in the UK, reports PC Pro.

For instance, the Virgin Media executive insisted broadband pricing in this country is among the lowest in Europe, thanks in part to the competition between his company and BT.

"Essentially, everywhere we are, BT has to compete aggressively with its fibre-to-the-cabinet [service]," he claimed. "Where we aren't, the government has a problem."

However, while UK broadband may be well priced, the average speeds available to consumers and businesses across the country are less competitive, according to recent research from Akamai.

The firm's State of the Internet report for the final quarter of 2010 ranked the country 26th in the world for typical connection speeds, with South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong taking the top three places.