APPENDIX 24
Memorandum submitted by Computing for
the Environment (S41)
1. Computing's Broadband Britain campaign
has been running since November 2001. One element of our coverage
has been the promotion of examples of best practice, including
local community broadband access projects. Links to all relevant
examples are included below, for information.
2. The Computing-led Broadband Britain committee,
launched in July 2002 in the absence of a formal Parliamentary
select committee, is meeting at the beginning of May to consider
the question of universality discussed below. At the last meeting
in November, ecommerce minister Stephen Timms and senior representatives
from BT, Cable & Wireless and Telewest presented their visions
of the future of broadband in the UK and took questions from the
committee.
3. Universal access is the key issue currently
facing Broadband Britain. Until such time as broadband access
can be taken as read—by business, government and citizen
alike—the technology will not fulfill its potential either
socially or economically.
4. The past 18 months have seen significant
changes. Thanks to more realistic pricing, increased media coverage
and high-profile advertising campaigns, public awareness is no
longer the biggest hurdle.
5. While debates surrounding broadband content
and its role in driving take-up are valid, until there is genuine
universal access the issue remains largely academic. It is no
use flashy applications being used to drive demand if a large
proportion of potential users have no chance of access.
6. There are various options to address
the question of universality, though there is some contradiction
with the government's wider commitment to fostering competition
in the telecoms sector and how far it can mandate uneconomical
service provision within those constraints.
7. One possibility is the creation of a
universal service obligation (USO) for broadband, similar to those
for telephony, water and gas. The DTI has discounted this as an
option but the full debate is yet to be had.
8. A second potential answer is the alteration
of planning regulations to include a requirement for broadband
access in all new developments, in a similar way to water, gas
and electricity.
9. However, both these options could place
an undue strain on commercial suppliers, which is not viable and/or
has a negative knock-on effect.
10. If neither of these does provide a workable
solution, now would be the time to develop alternatives.
11. In terms of what is actually happening
to expand broadband coverage in the UK, as well as BT's demand
registration scheme there are a variety of community-led initiatives
at various stages of development. While undoubtedly a positive
move, in proportional terms these are in the minority. Realistically,
it may be that the only way for Broadband Britain to be developed
in anything like the short term is through some serious involvement
from the government.
12. The government has made £30 million
available for regional broadband projects (announced by ecommerce
minister Stephen Timms in October 2001) but this is merely a drop
in the ocean, as proved by the fact that rural coverage has barely
changed since that time.
13. Rather than providing significant funds
for rural rollout, the DTI's central strategy is to encourage
suppliers to spend on costly infrastructure by using the combined
weight of public sector demand to provide a guaranteed return
on the investment.
14. However, the two largest potential public
service users—the education and health sectors—are
already progressing with their own plans.
15. Schools are to be served by grids developed
by the Regional Broadband Consortia set up by the DfES in 2000.
The department's target is for all these local networks to be
linked to form a national education network in March 2003. In
November the Prime Minister committed the government to funding
the connection of all the country's primary and secondary schools
to these networks by 2005.
16. The NHS also already has a network—NHSNet—linking
GPs and hospitals nationwide. According to a deal signed with
BT and Cable & Wireless in January, the existing network is
to be upgraded to broadband by 2004, in advance of the implementation
of the next generation N3 network.
17. At no point has it been made clear what
impact, if any, this will have on broadband availability for local
homes and businesses. Will local public networks be piggy-backed
onto the health and/or education provision? Or will public sector
aggregation be public sector only?
18. The implications for rural rollout are
substantial and would bear some scrutiny, particularly in the
context of potential involvement from Defra.
19. How Defra's role will be co-ordinated
with the work of both the DTI Broadband Taskforce and the various
other agencies involved in the issue is also important.
20. A significant emphasis has been placed
on alternative technologies such as wireless and satellite filling
in the gaps in the telephone and cable networks. Given the current
state of the telecoms sector it is safe to assume cable network
will not be significantly expanded in the foreseeable future.
Equally, satellite technology is expensive and less technically
suitable for mass deployment. There is some serious potential
in the use of wireless radio frequencies to bring broadband availability
to rural areas not well-served by the copper phone network and
the government and Radio Communications Agency are auctioning
various new parts of the spectrum with a view to filling this
need.
21. However, controversy about the geographical
division of licences and the removal of the requirement for licence-winners
to make broadband available outside of the most densely populated
areas suggest the potential may not be fully exploited. This may
be another example of the best course for Broadband Britain coming
up against commitments to competition and multiple suppliers.
22. Links to information about community
projects:
Cornwall ActNow: http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1138727
Cambridge Ring North-East: http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1138495
Manchester City Council: http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1138494
Hastings, South East England: http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1137345
Advantage West Midlands: http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1137334
Broadband plan for rural Scotland: http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1137333
Wales seizes broadband initiative: http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1133677
Cumbria grabs a broadband bargain: http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1132344
23. For full background from the Broadband
Britain campaign including news, analysis and comment, to go www.computing.co.uk/Specials/1132371
Computing
3 March 2003
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