Brussels, 11/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - In a press release, the European Satellite Operators Association (ESOA), expresses its pleasure at the fact that the recently appointed EU Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes has said that she wants everyone living in the European Union to have access to fast broadband within five years. Satellite technology is the only way of ensuring immediate connections to the internet, particularly in remote and difficult to access areas, explained ESOA secretary general, Aarti Holla, explaining that satellite infrastructure is already in place and greater capacity can be programmed in, but operators need public sector support from the EU and the member states in order to overcome all the obstacles. The European Union does not come close to achieving internet access for all because DSL technology (the technology most widely used for fast connections) only widens the gaps between urbanites and country folk. According to ESOA, combining satellite and earth-bound technology (fibre optic cables) is the only way to ensure full internet coverage across in the EU in a reasonable timespan. Restricting oneself to fibre optic cables (the only earth-bound technology able to ensure full coverage) would take far too long (from 20 to 25 years) because it would require huge investment to develop new generation networks across the whole of the EU. Aarti Holla said that the ESOA hoped to set out the satellite option to Commissioner Kroes in the next few weeks. (I.L./transl.fl)