Lessons can be learned from the Isle of Man's attempts to introduce an advanced broadband network infrastructure in the crown dependency, it has been claimed.

By the end of the summer, telecommunications firm Manx Telecom will have completed a roll-out of an island-wide Next Generation Network which will afford homeowners a minimum broadband service of 5.6Mb and mobile data access of 3.6Mb.

This will ensure the provision of a significantly enhanced service compared with the one proposed by the UK government in its Digital Britain report last week, which pledged the universal availability of a 2Mb broadband speed connection by 2012.

As a result, Cliff Saran, writing for computerweekly.com, suggests those in authority could be guided by the example set by the Isle of Man in ensuring the availability of a suitably advanced broadband service, particularly when it comes to government -business cooperation.

"The political endorsement is there to drive eBusiness," Tim Cranes, director of eBusiness in the Treasury department of the Isle of Man government, confirmed in an interview with the publication.

"For the size of the island we have a disproportionate amount of investment."

Last month, Manx Telecom announced that businesses and residents in the Port Erin, Peel and Kirk Michael exchange areas would get faster broadband thanks to the introduction of an improved service which allows faster upstream and downstream speeds.