Ahead of this year’s snap general election, the House of Lords has withdrawn its proposed requirement that broadband connections meet a minimum speed of 30 Mbps from the government’s Digital Economy Bill.
The change comes as the Conservative government accelerates legislation through Parliament during the customary “wash-up” period before an election. Because unfinished bills cannot be carried over into a new Parliament, the government must negotiate with the Opposition about which measures can be completed before dissolution. As a result, some proposals are dropped or pared back to secure agreement on other items.
With the general election scheduled for 8 June 2017, Parliament must be dissolved 25 days earlier. That sets dissolution for 00:01 on 3 May 2017, requiring outstanding public bills to be finalised before then.
Earlier this year the House of Lords argued that the existing 10 Mbps minimum was already “unfit for purpose in a very short time,” while Ofcom and ministers suggested any speed obligation should increase progressively. The concern is understandable: 10 Mbps struggles to reliably support a single HD video stream, let alone multiple devices and modern household demands, so many observers believe the target should be more ambitious.
Infrastructure constraints remain a major issue. Although fibre upgrades have reached many street cabinets, the so-called “last mile” to homes often still relies on ageing copper lines, limiting achievable speeds for many customers. Openreach and other providers continue to work on extending fibre coverage and improving access technology, but significant gaps persist.
Government speed figures cited during consultations were based on estimates rather than measured, real-world throughput, which critics say understates the need for higher requirements. Removing the Lords’ 30 Mbps proposal is therefore seen by some as a backward step: keeping 10 Mbps as the official minimum risks treating that level as acceptable long term and reduces regulatory pressure to accelerate upgrades to faster services.
For international context, other regulators have set higher baselines. For example, Canada’s telecommunications regulator has designated a basic service as 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload, illustrating how minimum thresholds can vary and influence broadband policy and investment priorities.
Are you disappointed that the proposed minimum broadband speed demand was dropped? Share your thoughts in the comments.