An amusement about Labour's nationalisation of the country's broadband system

Leave aside everything else being said about Labour’s surprise announcement that, given election victory, they’d nationalise the country’s broadband system. Then offer the service, over fibreoptic cabling, for free, to every household. Think just on the one point to follow:

Only 8% of the UK has access to ultra-fast broadband. McDonnell said: “The development of our new technology infrastructure has been held back as a result of the failures of government to invest, and BT itself obviously can’t marshal the resources government can, and that’s why we’re intervening.”

We’re just about to take the next step in mobile telecoms technology, to 5G. This is rolling out in 20 UK cities so far. One of the advantages of this 5G being that it’s possible to use it for the “last mile” for a broadband internet link.

That is, it is no longer necessary to put fibre to every household in the nation.

Which is precisely the point at which we’re promised government action to put fibre to every household in the nation.

If nothing else this election promise is an excellent example of why we shouldn’t use politics and government as a method of organising technological advance, no?