The Conservatives have unveiled plans to deliver a "nationwide super-fast broadband", part of which could be funded from the BBC licence fee.

英国保守党宣布将启动一项“全国范围的超快宽带”，部分经费将由BBC牌照费提供。

Broadband has been a political hot potato since 2008

Shadow chancellor影子大臣 George Osborne said a Tory保守主义的 government would deliver speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to the "majority" of homes by 2017.

He said cabling in rural areas could be paid for by private investors², with the licence fee making up any shortfalls缺少，差额.

Labour accused the Tories of playing "catch-up" on broadband improvements.

The government has set a target that homes should have access to使用，接近 speeds of 2Mbps by 2012.

'Thousands of jobs'

Mr Osborne told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "In the 19th Century we built the railways. In the 20th Century we built the motorways³.

"In the 21st Century let's build the super-fast broadband network that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs for Britain."

The Tories said money from private investors would pay for better cabling.

But it was added that it might not be attractive for private companies to install broadband cabling in some rural areas, in which case a proportion of the BBC licence fee could be used.

The Conservatives said the BBC could continue to set aside 3.5% of its licence fee - which currently goes to the digital switchover转换，替换 - to fund broadband expansion.

For Labour, Treasury⁴ Minister Stephen Timms said: "On broadband it's not Britain but the Tories that are playing catch-up.

"Labour have already announced measures for rolling out broadband across the country - and the Tories have opposed the plans to make that happen. "

'Fantasy economics'

The Liberal Democrats⁵ accused the Tories of operating "fantasy world economics".

"Anyone can promise the earth - what matters is how you pay for it," culture, media and sport spokesman Don Foster said.

"All independent research shows that the market simply cannot provide high-speed broadband in all parts of the country in the short term without investment.

"Hints that the license⁶ fee payer will be hit are the closest the Tories come to explaining how they intend to pay for this."

BT, which has a 25% share of the UK broadband market, said "going substantially实质上，大体上 further" to improve the country's network would require public sector⁷公共部门，国营部门经济 support.

"We look forward to engaging with politicians from every party," a spokesman said.

A government report on the UK's digital future - dubbed⁸ Digital Britain - was published in June 2009.

The action plan included universal access to broadband by 2012.

The wide-ranging report also tackled处理 internet regulation规则，管理 and public service broadcasting.