This week Virgin Media announced that they will double broadband speeds over the next 18 months. The company will invest £110m - £27.50 per customer - to do this. The move has been welcomed by the prime minister, no less, who said that it "will provide a great boost for the economy and change the way many households, consumers and businesses use the internet. Rolling out superfast broadband across the country is a critical part of our plan to upgrade the UK's infrastructure and build a new and smarter economy."
The culture, media and sport secretary Jeremy Hunt, joined in, saying: "Faster broadband speeds are great for customers and great for business, which is why our policy is to deliver superfast broadband to 90% of the country by 2015."
It all sounds great, but in reality it is no more useful than Ford increasing the top speed of my car from 127mph to 254mph.
I am a Virgin Media customer, and years ago they offered a 2Mb deal. It worked well and I was quite content. Then they increased the speed to 5Mb, and I didn't notice. Then they increased it again to 10Mb, and I didn't notice that either. So I am certain I won't notice the increase to 20Mb, just as I wouldn't notice an increase in my car's top speed.
According to Virgin's press release, 20Mb allows you to download an album in 24 seconds, rather than the 48 seconds it currently takes. Is there anyone out there for whom this will be a life changing event? In which case, why don't you already subscribe to Virgin's current 30Mb service?
Three out of four Virgin customers currently choose the slowest, cheapest package available. The ability to download an album in half a minute has no real appeal to most people. Faster broadband will not "change the way many households, consumers and businesses use the internet", whatever Mr Cameron says. In fact, they won't even notice.
A political commitment that Britain should have the fastest broadband makes no more sense than a commitment that we should have the fastest cars in Europe. The market can offer people a choice, and they can take their pick. The idea that facilitating HD video streaming simultaneously with online gaming - Virgin's stated #1 use for ultra fast broadband - "will provide a great boost for the economy" is risible.