Author - samiragazzane

01 Apr 2016

BSG Work Programme 2016/2017

The Broadband Stakeholder Group has agreed it work programme for 2016/17.

The key themes for this year are:

  • Achieving universal coverage – reaching the final 3-4% of premises
  • Reducing barriers and costs to deployment of superfast and ultrafast networks, including in urban areas
  • IPTV and its infrastructure challenges
  • Competition at the retail and infrastructure levels
  • The Open Internet and industry self-regulation

The full work programme can be found below. Stay up to date with our progress on these issues via our newsletter (which you can subscribe to below).

BSG Work Programme 2016-2017

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30 Mar 2016

Pushing for Universal Broadband Coverage: What do we mean and how do we get there?

On Monday 14 March, the Broadband Stakeholder Group hosted an event to discuss the Government’s intention to make sure that “every home and business can have access to fast broadband by the end of this Parliament???. The event explored how any target for universal coverage should be framed, the actions needed to meet that target and what lessons can be learned from other countries.

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16 Mar 2016

European Commission’s telecoms framework review – public consultations’ initial results

In the last quarter of 2015, the European Commission kick-started its review of the regulatory framework for telecoms and also consulted on the EU speed and quality targets beyond 2020. The ambitious consultations covered a wide range of EU policies, Directives and Regulations crucial to the development of the Digital Single Market. Earlier this month, the Commission published a summary of the responses ahead of the proposals due later this year.

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25 Feb 2016

Fibre, infrastructure competition, a USO but no Duct Co

Ofcom today published their initial conclusions from the Digital Communications Review that they kicked off last year. Whilst these are officially their interim findings, the direction of travel is relatively clear; over the next 10 years, the UK will move towards an increasingly all-fibre future, with widespread availability of competing fibre networks driving the take-up of ultrafast services underpinned by a USO. Against the background of convergence, Ofcom will do more to make it easier to compare quality of service across fixed, mobile and bundled offers. Openreach understandably lies at the heart of much of this and whilst BT will be sure to feel additional pain, Ofcom are not proposing full structural separation, yet.

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08 Feb 2016

Can the fourth industrial evolution take place in the UK? It depends on improvements to digital infrastructure, says EEF

A survey recently conducted by EEF (the Manufacturers’ Association) in the last quarter of 2015 found that the majority of respondents consider internet connectivity increasingly central to their operations and a boost to their productivity. Whilst the research found that the current infrastructure is adequate to meet their current business needs, manufacturers are concerned about the UK’s potential to compete at international level; the EEF claims that Britain’s success in leading the fourth industrial revolution depends on improvements to affordability and internet infrastructure.

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05 Feb 2016

The final 5% challenge – Small providers of alternative technologies can deliver cost-effective superfast broadband

The Government published this week their findings on the feasibility and deployment of 7 test pilots schemes set up to explore alternative technologies and business cases to deploy superfast broadband (24Mib/s) to the hardest-to-reach areas. The report found that non-fibre based suppliers can deliver good quality superfast connections, hybrid solutions are viable technically and commercially and that smaller internet service providers can compete successfully with the larger providers such as BT Openreach to win public procurement contracts.

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05 Feb 2016

BSG event – Pushing for Universal Broadband Coverage – Monday 14 March (2.30pm-5pm)

Pushing for Universal Broadband Coverage: What do we mean and how do we get there?

The Government has announced its intention to make sure that “every home and business can have access to fast broadband by the end of this Parliament???. This would go beyond the current BDUK targets for superfast broadband to 95% of premises and build on the Universal Service Obligation of 2 Mbit/s. This event will bring together industry and policy makers to discuss how best to facilitate coverage to the areas which are by definition the least commercially viable, with the debate including issues such as public funding, State Aid, community-led scheme, debt-financing and the creation of a Universal Service Obligation.

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01 Feb 2016

Increasing transparency of businesses broadband speeds – Ofcom’s new voluntary Code of Practice for ISPs

Under a new voluntary Ofcom Code, Internet Service Providers commit to give businesses “clearer, more accurate and transparent information on broadband speeds before they sign up to a contract???. If the promised upload and download speeds fall below the guaranteed levels, businesses will be able to leave their contract with no penalties.

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28 Jan 2016

Improving financial capabilities by developing digital skills

In March 2015, Lloyds Bank published its second UK Business Digital Index highlighting the various factors contributing to the slow move towards becoming digital for a significant portion of SMEs. Last week, the first UK Consumer Digital Index was launched, establishing the link between digital and financial capability and investigating It found that £3.7bn of online savings for consumers could be made if the digitally and financially excluded were to realise online opportunities.

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14 Jan 2016

Open Internet Forum starts to draft new Code

Following the publication in November 2015 of an independent review into the UK’s industry led approach to the Open Internet, the process to amend the Open Internet and Traffic Management Codes of Practice kick-started yesterday with a meeting of the Open Internet Forum (signatories of the Codes (ISPs), Government, Ofcom, content providers and other interested parties).

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17 Nov 2015

Publication of review of the UK’s Open Internet Codes

Today, the BSG published an independent review into the UK’s industry led approach to the Open Internet. The report, produced by consultancy WIK, found that the UK Open Internet and Traffic Management Codes of Practice have been effective when measured against the principles of an Open Internet. WIK also found that the Codes could continue to add value “over and above the requirements laid out in the Regulation???.

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03 Nov 2015

Publication of the report reviewing the UK’s Open Internet Codes – 17 November 2015

The BSG would like to invite you to the launch event of an independent review, undertaken by WIK, of the UK’s approach to the Open Internet (known as net neutrality) on Tuesday 17 November 1100-1300 at techUK.

In August 2015, we announced the review of the Open Internet and Traffic Management Codes of Practice following the adoption of a political agreement on the EU Connected Continent Regulation.

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29 Oct 2015

BSG/techUK event – Britain’s Digital Infrastructure: boosting our growth and productivity – 18 November 2015

The Broadband Stakeholder Group and techUK are delighted to invite you to our conference “Britain’s Digital Infrastructure: boosting our growth and productivity”.

A crucial part of fulfilling the UK’s ambition to remain one of the leading digital economies in the world rests in the delivery of the right infrastructure; one fit for the future and capable of meeting user demands on coverage, capacity and quality.

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23 Oct 2015

First London connectivity rating scheme launched this week

In partnership with the Mayor of London, WiredScore launched yesterday the Connectivity Rating Scheme, designed to award commercial office buildings with a certification matching their connectivity capabilities. 4 awards can be attributed to the building, from meeting minimum standards (Certified), to meeting the needs of most commercial tenants (Silver), providing diverse internet connectivity (Gold) and providing best-class connectivity (Platinum).

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