It appears that communications minister Stephen Carter, so as to not lag behind in the technological race and to help in energizing Britain’s economy, is pushing himself and the government too hard by claiming that 2Mb broadband for all will be a reality in three years’ time.

Satellite and mobile broadband are widely expected to make up for the absence of fixed-line broadband, but now BT has suggested that 2Mb speed is within arm’s length for the users. Raising the performance of its existing network through simple modifications is the way to upgrade to 2Mb, says BT. These modifications range from slight improvements in home wiring and installing second lines to implementing the new ADSL2+ technology for high speed and extra coverage.

If an Ofcom report is taken into account, 85 percent of the British population can expect high-speed broadband through fixed-line connections. That leaves more than 1 million homes in the UK with sluggish connections. To fill this speed gap, Lord Carter’s reliable aide Kip Meek is ready to sit across the table with the UK’s mobile broadband providers and strike a mutually beneficial deal with them, granting them portions of the broadcast spectrum in return for providers spreading their wireless network to remote areas where people are still waiting for fixed-line broadband (click for more on 3g mobile broadband).

However, BT now expects to provide 93 percent of the population with quality service through its cost-effective measures. The remaining 7 percent of UK homes can consider satellite broadband as an alternative.

BT is of the opinion that the mobile broadband option is just a short-term solution. The company seems uneasy about the potential of mobile broadband to take over the market, which is evident by the fact that the government had to approach mobile broadband providers to finally make BT take concrete steps in the interests of the public in the form of inexpensive measures to widen its high-speed network.