A series of escalating broadband speed targets should have been included in the Digital Britain plan, one expert has claimed.

According to James Blessing, a senior Internet Services Providers' Association Council Member, aiming simply for universal 2Mb broadband access by 2012 is rather short-sighted on the government's part.

Speaking to ISPreview, he claimed that without a commitment to an escalating universal service of broadband, there is no commercial incentive to offer "anything more than the bare minimum".

"Personally I would have set a series of goals over a period of time, 2Mb by 2012 then 10Mb by 2015 and then 20Mb by 2020," he stated.

By identifying clear speed targets, the government would have "set the groundwork" for a digital future where speeds far in excess of 2Mb should be available, Mr Blessing added.

"The solution should be based on building a national wholesale fibre infrastructure, designed to deliver countywide networks that reaches all villages," he said.

Earlier this week, Lord Roberts of Llandudno claimed that rural areas must not be forgotten as broadband providers roll-out next-generation services across the UK.