New Data Use and Access Law to Help UK Utility Maps and ISP Comparisons

The UK government has today announced that their Data Use and Access Bill has become law (Royal Assent), which pledges to inject £10bn into the British economy over 10-years by, among other things, supporting personalised market comparisons for utility pricing and putting a new digital map of underground broadband cables and pipes on a “statutory footing“.

Improving the sharing of sensitive personal data tends to be a tedious area for the government, which doesn’t necessarily have the best history of keeping our private information safe and secure. Nevertheless, the government is keen to create the right conditions to support the future of open banking and the growth of new smart data schemes, while also cutting down on bureaucracy (admin) for police officers and the NHS etc.

However, our focus in all this is more on those aspects of the new Act that bleed into the UK telecoms (broadband, phone and mobile) sector, particularly where it has relevance to future network deployments and consumer services. Some of this is reflected in the aforementioned focus on “smart data schemes” – models that allow consumers and businesses to safely share information about them with regulated and authorised third parties.

For example, price comparison sites could use all this to generate “hyper personalised experiences” (i.e. tailored comparisons of broadband and mobile packages) and financial advice to help cut costs. In theory, such legislation might similarly allow consumers to view all of their bills in one place or introduce easier management across accounts, which could potentially be designed specifically for vulnerable consumers.

Government Statement

For example, consumers will be able to share data on their energy usage which will help create more accurate price comparisons, informing what utility provider best suits their needs. This measure will give consumers the ability to compare utility prices, find better deals, and reduce their energy use, as well as foster tech innovation and boost competition, which will ultimately grow the UK economy.

On the other hand, personalised pricing remains a bit of a minefield, which may end up resulting in some people paying more for the same service and thus growing a risk of “unfair” price discrimination. Ofcom’s 2020 research into this found that most people “felt personalised pricing was ‘unfair’, with a lack of transparency about how the price would be calculated and uncertainty about whether they had a good deal.” Time will tell.

The law also puts the Government’s new National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) – developed alongside Ordnance Survey (OS) and Atkins – on a statutory footing, which is a digital UK map of underground pipes and cables (broadband, water etc.) that is partly designed to help reduce accidental damage.

Government Statement

[The NUAR] will allow construction workers to instantly see their exact location – information which currently takes six days to access. Slashing the average data-sharing process to six seconds, workers in the field will have quick access to a rich view of buried assets, helping them make more informed decisions on how to carry out works safely and efficiently – speeding up roadworks and closures and reducing delays for those on the road.

Put another way, more than 600 asset owners will now be required to share their data with NUAR, supporting the safe digging industry. According to Richard Broome of LSBUD, a UK safe digging service, the development is “really pleasing for the safe digging community“.

Richard added that there was “much more still to be done, [but] the fact this milestone has been reached enables the voice of the safe digging industry to be fully heard at a level that it has never been before. At LSBUD we are actively engaged with the NUAR team, and the collaboration the safe digging industry is calling for is building momentum.”

Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said:

“For too long, previous governments have been sitting on a goldmine of data, wasting a powerful resource which can be used to help families juggle food costs, slash tedious life admin, and make our NHS and police work smarter. These new laws will finally unleash that power for hardworking people – putting cash back in pockets and boosting vital public services, all part of our Plan for Change.”

The NUAR itself is currently in the process of entering its public beta phase. However, the UK Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) did previously warn the government against putting the NUAR on a statutory footing before it’s truly “fit for purpose, proportionate and can fully deliver on expectations“; it’s perhaps not quite at that stage.. yet.