Ultra-fast broadband has been promised to the UK if the Conservative party comes to power in the next election.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, shadow chancellor George Osborne said that the party is planning to wire Britain with 100Mbps broadband by 2017 - a technology that is already in the pipeline in South Korea and Singapore.

The scheme would also see a forced opening of BT's infrastructure to a number of other private companies.
Nigel Hawthorn, vice-president of EMEA marketing for network management firm Blue Coat Systems, said that all sectors, from business to home users, would benefit from this level of bandwidth.

"If this is achieved, then the TV over air service could be turned off completely," he added.
"There is no need for upgrading to digital and the wireless bandwidth released for other needs."

However, Mr Hawthorn went on to remind users that additional bandwidth does not always equal better performance and the move may exacerbate the differences between the "internet have and have-nots".