CeBIT "Deregulation has done nothing for broadband delivery in the UK." Chris Dedicoat, veep of Cisco EMEA, said yesterday.

Nothing so controversial here - but it will be interesting to see the reception that John Chambers, Cisco CEO and lecturer to the world's governments, gets the next time he pops into 10 Downing Street.

Italy has the lowest broadband reach of any G7 country - 0.9 per cent (v. 16.24 per cent for Canada, the country with the highest reach). But there are some interesting broadband developments in the country according to Dedicoat.

He points to FastWeb, in Milan, which delivers an array of broadband services - TV,phone, fast Internet - "for a cost-effective $53 a month" - through Ethernet.

"Broadband is not just about DSL," but about alternative technologies such as Ethernet, especially in Europe, Dedicoat argues.

On the continent, 60 per cent of people live in multi-dwelling units, and there is a huge cabling infrastructure to leverage, he notes.

So don't rip out that Cat 5, just yet. ®