The
Government (DCMS) published its very long-awaited White Paper this week. It
covers both communications and content.
This
came out of the Coalition deciding early on its term that it suspected the
communications sector was not functioning as well as it might and that the
surrounding legislation might be in need of an overhaul.
Ever
since and in the build-up to publication, it is alleged that, at least as
regards electronic communications, the Government has been struggling to find
something particularly new or significant to address.
This
seems to be borne out by the White Paper, which is a useful 'pulling together'
of the Government's thoughts and pre-existing initiatives, sprinkled with a few
future promises, but offers very little to set the pulse racing.
The
'highlights' nevertheless can be summarised as follows:
·
Broadband
Some £1.2B of public funds is being
invested to bring broadband to rural communities (the Government does not
mention the delays that have occurred in its disbursement, partly due to
obtaining EU State Aid approvals). It is to make a further £250M investment, to
be locally matched, to extend superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises by
2017, and is exploring with industry how to develop more innovative fixed,
wireless and mobile broadband solutions required to move to 99% superfast
coverage by 2018 (right now that seems rather ambitious, though there is some
elasticity in the term 'superfast')
·
Mobile
Currently mobile coverage stands at
over 99% of UK premises, but there are still some 80,000 premises in complete
'not-spots', the majority in rural areas. The Government committed (in 2011) a
total of £150M to improve mobile coverage and quality; in May Arqiva was
appointed to provide this infrastructure. With 4G now being successfully rolled
out and competition between the various 4G licensees beginning to mount, the
Government states it is working with the University of Surrey, the wider
research community and industry to establish 'the world's first test-bed' for
5G technologies and services, in order for the UK to become a world-leader in
such technologies.
·
Spectrum
The Government has answered the cries
from the industry and promised, working with Ofcom and spectrum users (e.g.
mobile operators), to develop a 10-year UK Spectrum Strategy 'to deliver
greater public value from the use of electromagnetic spectrum'. And in another
response to public pleas for clarity on demarcation, the Strategy document will
apparently 'clearly set out the roles and responsibilities of Government…and
those for Ofcom and spectrum users'. The strategy will also include the timeframe
for key decisions on future spectrum releases including in the 700MHz band and
planned public sector spectrum sales and sharing opportunities. Apart from a
passing reference to the EU objective of finding 1200MHz for mobile broadband,
there seems to be missing the recognition that all this needs to feed into and
from the EU's own rolling Radio Spectrum Policy Programme.
As regards spectrum management, the
Government plans to make 'targeted amendments' to legislation to:
§
facilitate
spectrum sharing though 'dynamic spectrum access' technologies
§
give
spectrum licensees incentives to surrender their rights to spectrum for other
uses where it is not being fully used or needed
§
notably,
make it easier (apparently from the timeliness point of view) for the Secretary
of State to direct Ofcom on spectrum matters so as to implement broader
Government policy: this should raise a few eyebrows
§
enable
Ofcom to fine licensees for licence breaches rather than simply threaten them
with the more theoretical sanction of revocation.
·
Infrastructure deployment
Following
on from new legislation in 2012, removing or suspending restrictions on
planning, wayleaves, street works, overhead lines etc, even in areas of
outstanding natural beauty, the Government looks to remove other barriers and
'red tape', including amending the Electronic Communications Code (following a
recent Law Commission report), better facilitating laying cables in streets and
streamlining the planning process for installation of mobile infrastructure,
particularly 4G.
·
UK digital communications infrastructure
In
a final flourish, the Government states it will work in partnership with
communications industry experts (including 'leading thinkers') to develop by
the end of 2014 a strategy for the UK's digital communications infrastructure
from 2015-2025, with particular emphasis on technologies that 'can help boost
connectivity in all parts of the UK'.
