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Julian McGougan, Head of Technology at techUK responds to the CMS Committee on Establishing World Class connectivity throughout the UK.

techUK welcomes the recent report from the Culture Media and Sport Committee on Establishing World Class connectivity throughout the UK. Last year, techUK gave written evidence to the Committee, highlighting the economic and social benefits flowing from improvements in both the “quality” of connectivity and the number of people who have it.

The Committee’s report rightly recognises not only the importance of digital connectivity but also how much has already been achieved by UK companies. Indeed when considering the availability, take-up, headline speed and cost of broadband, the UK compares well with other countries, although discussion of “quality of broadband” tends to focus only on headline downlink speed.

techUK strongly agrees with the Committee that achieving universal, world class broadband in the UK will require a range of technologies to play their part, and specifically a mix of technologies will be required to reach harder to reach premises. We also agree that the future must be about both infrastructure and service competition. Despite this recognition that many companies will contribute towards achieving the goal, the report is still very focussed on fibre and on BT as its principal deliverer, including rehearsing the arguments at length around how Openreach should be owned, financed and regulated.

In fact, while an important part of the story, fibre won’t be the appropriate solution for everyone and techUK agrees with the Committee that mobile has a key role to play, not least as about 15% of UK households have no active fixed line. Mobile coverage is therefore an ongoing issue for Ofcom to address. As the Committee says, it will be important for Ofcom to get right the coverage obligation in the next mobile spectrum licences to be auctioned. techUK members have mixed views on coverage obligations, which have been relatively crude in the past. The most effective way of maximising coverage is by minimising the cost of network roll out and operations and thus maximising the commercial case for such investment. Every effort should be made to reduce regulatory burdens such as on overly stringent or variable planning permission regimes and mast heights, energy costs, and to enable economic access to land and public sector roof tops. There could be a future role for coverage obligations but these should be closely linked to enhancing the commercial case for operators to roll out networks.

Given that the Committee also highlights the need to improve connectivity on public transport, especially the Tube, this suggests that Ofcom may need to look at specifically including public transport connectivity in any new coverage obligations for mobile. I am delighted to report that techUK is already working with the rail industry on improving rail connectivity, and we will be sharing the output of that work with Ofcom.

The Committee also considered the Government’s proposed Universal Service Obligation, and quite rightly concluded that careful consideration needed to be given as to what level of connectivity and affordability would be appropriate to deliver the desired socially beneficial services. Setting an unrealistic headline speed target could be counter-productive. techUK would add that if a Universal Service Obligation were introduced before the Government’s publicly subsidised rollout of broadband had run its course, investment could be wasted.

The report rightly highlights the need for a revised Electronic Communications Code, which governs the scope of network operators’ access to public land to deploy infrastructure. techUK is pleased that the recent Digital Economy Bill addresses that issue.

Universal, high quality broadband – be that in the home or on the move – is now a cornerstone of our economy. We can expect the Committee to revisit this subject over the course of this Parliament. These priorities will be of central importance to new Digital Economy minister Matt Hancock, working together with the sector, as he works through his new in-tray.

Commenting on the report, Julian McGougan, Head of Technology at techUK, commented:

“techUK welcomes this wide-ranging report on connectivity, which rightly recognises not only the importance to the UK of continuing to improve digital connectivity, but also how much has already been achieved by UK companies using a range of technologies.

But there is more still to be done and the Committee is right to highlight those who still cannot access reliable, fast enough broadband – not just those in rural areas but in the remaining “not spots” in urban areas.

The Committee also commented that connectivity on rail and road was more important than ever - with users expecting to be always connected to cloud services wherever they are, techUK strongly agrees. More connected cars and a future of autonomous vehicles can only increase the need for connectivity on roads to improve.

As the number of premises unable to access broadband decreases, addressing road and rail connectivity will become more important and techUK will work with government and Ofcom to help them achieve that.”