Andrew Pinder has now agreed to take over the role of e-envoy on a longer term basis following the resignation of Alex Allan last year.

Pinder claims that the government will be announcing new plans sometime this month that they have for extending high-speed internet platforms as part of their broadband strategy. He also stated that people have cause to complain about the price of broadband and that these costs will have to come down if the government wishes to achieve their aim of providing universal access across the UK by 2005.

He also admits that a digital divide already exists throughout the UK and that those people living in rural communities should not be forgotten in the picture to get the nation wired up. Pinder also feels that the governments UK Online project aimed at providing public internet access and giving deprived families PC's that will help with IT skills.

Pinder commented also on the immaturity of ISP by moaning about the governments online plans, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIP) and the failure to get involved with the process, he stated that they need to get involved or be left behind. They need to be involved to ensure that the RIP act is implemented correctly, otherwise if they continue to whinge on about what the government is doing, people are going to get fed-up and it will be harder for them to get concessions.