Labour Promises Free Broadband For All If It Wins The General Election

A British Broadband public service will deliver fast and free full-fibre internet to millions of people under a Labour government, the party has pledged.

Labour intends to bring parts of BT into public ownership under plans it said will result in a massive upgrade in the UK’s internet infrastructure.

The party aims to deliver free full-fibre broadband to all individuals and businesses by 2030, with the plan being to integrate the broadband-relevant parts of BT into new public entity, British Broadband.

Jeremy Corbyn will make the announcement in Lancaster on Friday and describe the new free public service as central to Labour’s plans to transform the country and economy, bringing communities together in an “inclusive and connected society”.

The party said the plan will put an end to patchy and slow coverage, and will boost 5G connectivity across the country.

The rollout would begin with communities that have the worst broadband access, including rural and remote communities and some inner city-areas, followed by towns and smaller centres, then by areas currently well served by superfast or ultrafast broadband.

Labour said it will be paid for through the party’s Green Transformation fund and taxing corporations such as Amazon, Facebook and Google, adding it will save the average person £30.30 a month.

The party will also announce plans for a new Charter of Digital Rights, describing it as “the strongest protection of data and online rights ever enacted”.

They said they will consult on its contents, which could include powers for individuals and collectives to challenge algorithmic injustice, powers for individuals and collectives to prevent the use of digital infrastructure for surveillance, and rights for individuals to protect access to and ownership of their data.

One of the goals is to deliver the service to at least 15-18 million premises within five years. 

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