House of Lords Report Calls for UK Broadband Investment to Boost Home Working

The cross-party Home-based Working Committee (Lords Select Committee) has published its report on remote and hybrid working in the UK, which among other things finds that the government should “increase long-term investment in digital infrastructure, particularly broadband” in order to properly support such working.

Currently, over 88% of UK premises can already access a 1000Mbps+ (gigabit) capable broadband network (here), while Ofcom separately forecasts that this may reach between 91% to 97% of homes by January 2028 (here). Most of this has been delivered by commercial builds (predominantly focused on urban and semi-urban areas), but there are some areas in the final 10-20% of premises that are simply too expensive for commercial providers.

The government’s £5bn Project Gigabit scheme was thus established in 2021 to help extend gigabit broadband ISP networks to achieve “nationwide” coverage (c.99%) by 2030 2032 (here) – focusing on the commercially unviable areas (usually rural and semi-rural locations).

However, while the new report does recognise the aforementioned project (‘Is working from home working?‘), it also calls on the government to “increase long-term investment in digital infrastructure” and to “clearly articulate how it will deliver its targets and commit to funding it further into the future“.

The report goes on to recommend that the government should develop a long-term plan for improvements to business connectivity, including in rural areas with limited access to digital infrastructure.

Baroness Scott of Needham Market, Chair of the Committee, said:

“The extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic transformed working from home into a ‘new normal’ for many workers. Our report represents a comprehensive examination of all aspects of home working based on a thorough consideration of the available evidence.

The increased flexibility of remote and hybrid working can be especially beneficial to people with disabilities and to parents or carers, and may help them to work where they couldn’t previously. If the Government wants to encourage more people back into work, then it should look into the potential of remote and hybrid working alongside existing back to work initiatives.

While we don’t expect the Government to legislate further on a subject that is best handled by employers and workers, it should provide relevant guidance and promote already existing guidance more widely. As it implements the Employment Rights Bill, it should ensure its changes to flexible working requests do not put undue pressure on the employment tribunal system.

The recommendations in our report are practicable and deliverable and we look forward to receiving the Government’s response in due course. We urge the Government to work towards implementation, including cross departmental data gathering so that current trends can be tracked, analysed and put to good use when developing policy in the future.”

Paddy Paddison, Chief Executive of INCA, said:

“This report recognises that access to fast, reliable broadband is fundamental to people’s ability to work, learn and participate in society. The ability to work from home depends entirely on the strength of the UK’s digital infrastructure, and we welcome the Lords Committee’s call for greater long-term investment and a clear plan to deliver on Project Gigabit’s 99% coverage target.

Across the country, over 100 Altnets now serve more than 16.4 million homes and have attracted more than £17 billion in private investment since 2020 – averaging over £1,000 invested per premises passed. This level of commitment has transformed connectivity in towns, cities and rural areas alike.

That progress is not guaranteed. It relies on fair competition and a regulatory environment that allows independent networks to continue investing. The digital divide affects opportunity as much as connectivity, and the UK’s ambition for a modern, flexible workforce depends on getting this right.”

The full summary of what the report says on technology and digital infrastructure can be found below (it also coves many other areas). But we note that their recommendations for broadband somewhat fail to spell out much in the way of any specifics for how the proposed additional investment should be used, or even how much extra funding may be required.

At present, the public subsidy available under Project Gigabit should be enough to help do most of the job in terms of network coverage, although a question mark does exist over the final c.1% of very hard to reach premises (i.e. the bits that are too expensive for even Project Gigabit). Satellite and fixed wireless (FWA) solutions may be able to plug some of this gap, but these are not always perfect solutions and won’t work for every single location or building. Ofcom’s related Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband is also overdue for a review.

Chapter 8: Technology

75. The Government should increase long-term investment in digital infrastructure. While we welcome Project Gigabit, the Government should clearly articulate how it will deliver its targets and commit to funding it further into the future. It should develop a long-term plan for improvements to business connectivity, including in rural areas with limited access to digital infrastructure. In doing so, it should draw on international best practice such as from Sweden, Spain, and Norway.

IS WORKING FROM HOME WORKING?

76. The Government should improve digital access and the development of digital skills. It should communicate the benefits which improved connectivity can confer to businesses and communities through the Digital Inclusion Action Plan. It should promote the development of employment skills for young people, such as using computers to perform tasks which may be challenging with smartphones. This includes assisting employers with providing digital training for their staff, while communicating that employers should take responsibility for developing workers’ skills and adapt to a generation which prefers to use smartphones.

77. Digital technology and software are critical for facilitating remote and hybrid working. Having a broadband connection in offices and homes is an essential requirement. There is a range of software available to enable better project management and collaboration, but some of this may be under-utilised, particularly when it operates on a relatively small scale.

78. Some technology, such as surveillance software, may not achieve meaningful benefits, since it does not necessarily track useful outcomes. It may even be harmful due to the demands it can place on workload and availability.

79. Remote and hybrid working do not necessarily pose widespread additional cybersecurity risks, provided proper procedures are understood and followed. The cybersecurity training and systems required are widely available. We welcome the guidance provided by the National Cyber Security Centre, including the advice tailored for SMEs. The National Cyber Security Centre should continue to treat remote and hybrid working as a priority as it develops and communicates this guidance.

The Government should further promote the guidance of the National Cyber Security Centre on cybersecurity, particularly as it relates to remote and hybrid working. It should consider how this can be incorporated into its existing activity in the area, including engagement with industry and the forthcoming national cyber strategy.