Bottom feeding on broadband - universal access

The Uk government has claimed that it will offer access to broadband that is 'theoretically' (?) capable of delivering 2Mbps service by 2012 - but not actual service, whether at peak time or possibly any time of day. The Minister appeared before his Select Committee and pfaffed around (at Q158):

Mr Timms: I would just caution the Committee about being too hung up about the definition. There is a huge amount of work to be done. I accept that the technical specification is an important part of that but there are a lot of other things that we need to get sorted out.

Q159 Chairman: You have to be obsessed with definition! If you are saying that it is a Universal Service Obligation you have to be clear what you mean by it, Minister. Of course we are going to be obsessed by the definition.

Mr Timms: Actually I think there is clarity about the Universal Service Commitment ---

Q160 Chairman: We are not clear and you have not made it clear this morning.

Mr Timms: With respect, I think I have made it fairly clear. Certainly from the customer's point of view, what this service will provide is access to the kind of ---

Chairman: You sound a little bit like a dodgy Internet Service Provider yourself over claiming for speeds! You have promised us a note and we will have to have it, but we are not currently very impressed.

Q161 Mr Binley: I think if you were selling to me I would be very worried, Stephen!