Ahead of the much-awaited and closely watched 2019 UK general elections, the main opposition party- The Labour Party- has come up with a unique promise- free broadband for all. The Jeremy Corbyn party said that it would give every home and business in the country free full-fibre broadband by 2030 if it wins the December 12 general elections.
With the latest poll promise, the Labour Party is planning to re-nationalize the broadband owned by British multinational telecommunications firm BT Group. The company was privatized in the 1980s. Labour Party also stated that it would nationalize all other broadband companies if it forms government.
As the new proposed plan, the Labour government would take control of BT's telecoms infrastructure arm, Openreach, and form a new entity known as British Broadband. The party said that it would cost £ 15.3 billion ($19.7 billion) to introduce superfast broadband by 2030. The project will be funded by tech giants Amazon, Facebook and Google.
In its statement, the Labour Party said, "It's time to make the very fastest full-broadband free to everybody, in every home in every corner of the country." The Labour Party said that it hopes to make the internet a 'treasured national institution for the 21st century'. However, the UK is way behind other many countries like Spain, South Korea and Japan in terms of fast broadband.
Apart from nationalizing BT telecoms and providing free broadband, the Labour Party also plans to nationalize water companies, postal services and rail operations. Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson vehemently criticized the new policy calling it a 'crackpot scheme' and said that it would cost taxpayers over ten billions of money.
BT said that whatever the outcome of the general elections, it would work with the next government to collaborate on the full-fibre broadband internet technology. Apart from the much political debate revolving Brexit, the upcoming UK general elections will also attract the world's attention, thanks to Corbyn's free-broadband promise.
