High-speed broadband will become almost as basic a telephone line in the near future, the Anglican Bishop of Manchester has predicted.

Bishop Nigel McCulloch described as “rather too modest” the Government’s target of getting superfast broadband to 90 per cent of homes in the next eight years.

In a debate on the Digital Economy Bill in the House of Lords, Bishop McCulloch also suggested the “bar has been set too low in terms of universal connection speed”.

The Government is planning to impose a 50p per month tax on phone lines to pay for the role out of broadband in hard-to-reach areas.

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Provinces • Church of England (CoE) • CoE Bishops • * Culture-Watch • Blogging & the Internet • Science & Technology • * International News & Commentary • England / UK

1. Pageantmaster [Pray for +Mark Lawrence] wrote: Why it was only the other day as I was saying to one of the curates on the telephonic apparatus while opening an email with a letter opener [strangely my machine hasn’t been the same since]: “you know we live in such exciting times, transatlantic cables, aeroplanes, and horseless carriages linking the British Empire in ways none of us could have imagined in the late Queen’s day….” December 16, 8:22 am | [comment link]

2. Phil wrote: I’m sure the good bishop is right, that broadband will become a basic.  After all, cable has become such.  Still, when I read this kind of thing, I can’t help but be struck by how decadent and soft Western culture has become.  And yes, I must include myself in that criticism. December 16, 11:08 am | [comment link]

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