Calls for BT to do more to extend the coverage of broadband Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) services in the UK continue unabated. BT has said that most of its telephone exchanges have either already been upgraded to support DSL or are in the process of being upgraded. But companies say that there are still shortcomings, particularly for businesses and consumers in more rural areas of the country.

A spokeswoman for BT reiterated that DSL exchanges will cover 90 percent of the UK population - once enough people or firms have registered interest to make it economical to upgrade rural exchanges. She added that BT will also look at ways to provide broadband to the last 10 percent, which currently have no set trigger levels - which means their local exchanges are unlikely to ever be enabled for DSL.

"Some of these local exchanges are very small, but we are looking at what can be done," said the spokeswoman. She added that BT is considering the use of wireless and satellite broadband technology in those areas, as well as the setting of "achievable" trigger levels for the remaining exchanges.

The Trade and Industry Select Committee has asked businesses for their views on broadband provision. The UK Internet Service Providers Association (Ispa) recently responded by calling for a number of changes to the way broadband services and coverage are being developed. It said that BT should set trigger levels for all exchanges, and should accept that the cost of upgrading them is lower than had previously been calculated.

Ispa also called for the promotion of greater competition between providers, and encouragement for the use of alternative broadband access technologies, such as wireless and satellite, in order to fill in coverage gaps. Like other critics, Ispa chairman Matthew Hare said BT has retained too much control in the market, so the government should intervene and regulate to encourage further roll out of broadband technologies.

"Ispa believes that regulation will almost certainly be required in a market where a single operator continues to hold significant market power," said Hare.

However, a very different approach was advocated by Ruralnet, a rural regeneration charity that also submitted evidence to the select committee. It said more should be done to foster the development of locally set-up and managed broadband networks.

Ruralnet chief executive Simon Berry argued that putting too much pressure on telecoms providers such as BT might be counterproductive.

"Forcing the market to do anything would be a mistake. We fear that this would have a negative impact on rollout, and would prefer to support community projects," Berry argued.

Speaking at the Ruralnet 2003 conference in early October, e-commerce minister Stephen Timms announced the gov- ernment would offer support for an initiative called the Community Broadband Network (CBN). The CBN is intended to connect communities that have taken local broadband provision into their own hands. Berry said there was "huge" interest in services in areas where communities were providing their own services.

Ispa's Hare said that the best way to find out if there is enough demand to justify upgrading exchanges in more remote areas is to set trigger levels for all exchanges. "(Doing this) would highlight what level of broadband demand there is in the country, rather than showing what demand there is in the areas that BT has decided to upgrade next," he said.