The Queen has today carried out the annual State Opening of Parliament, which as per usual included a list of policy plans that the Government intends to put forward over the coming years. As expected this included some planned legislation for broadband and internet safety related matters.<\/p>\n
The Queen’s Speech is historically more of a ceremonial affair, which often only serves to feed the media with a tiny sliver of new information on forthcoming Government policy and precious little in the way of detail. On the other hand you do sometimes get a few surprises and as usual we keep an eye out for anything to do with broadband and telecoms.<\/p>\n
Certainly year’s event is a little more unusual due to Brexit<\/strong> and the fact that the current Government doesn’t have a majority in the House of Commons; out of 650 seats they now only hold 288, rising to 298 when the DUP is included. Suffice to say that getting any new legislation passed will be extremely difficult and the possibility of another snap General Election<\/strong> taking place within the next few months cannot be ruled out.<\/p>\n In terms of broadband policy, this year there were no huge surprises as most of what the Queen announced has already been reported. In that sense the Government confirmed last week’s announcement about new legislation to help tackle “rogue landlords<\/em>” (here<\/a>) and happily they also recommitted to ensure that new build homes have access to “gigabit-capable<\/em>” broadband.<\/p>\n We’ve pasted both the relevant part of the Queen’s Speech and the Government’s policy commitment in full below.<\/p>\n The Queen said:<\/strong><\/p>\n “To ensure that the benefits of a prospering economy reach every corner of the United Kingdom, my Ministers will bring forward a National Infrastructure Strategy. This will set out a long-term vision to improve the nation\u2019s digital, transport and energy infrastructure. New legislation will help accelerate the delivery of fast, reliable and secure broadband networks to millions of homes [Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill] .”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Broadband Legislation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The purpose of the legislation is to:<\/strong> \u25cf Make it easier for telecoms companies to install broadband infrastructure in blocks of flats.<\/span><\/p>\n \u25cf Ensure that all new homes are built with reliable and fast internet speeds. The main benefits of the legislation would be:<\/strong> \u25cf Increasing download speeds with a gigabit-capable network, which are more than 30 times the speed of superfast broadband and will allow you to download a HD film in fewer than 45 seconds.<\/span><\/p>\n \u25cf Faster and more reliable internet connections for people living in flats. New measures will also ensure that all new homes are built with the fastest connectivity available, increasing certainty for businesses investing in gigabit speed networks and making it easier for people to switch to better broadband deals.<\/span><\/p>\n The main elements of the legislation are:<\/strong> \u25cf Amending the Building Act 1984 so that Building Regulations require all new build developments to have the infrastructure to support gigabit-capable connections.<\/p>\n \u25cf Requiring for developers to work with broadband companies to install gigabit-capable connections in virtually all new build developments, up to a cost cap.<\/p>\n Territorial extent and application<\/strong> OTHER MEASURES<\/strong> \u25cf In the two years to 2021 we are already investing \u00a3650 million to stimulate the market to deploy gigabit capable connections in urban and rural areas through:<\/p>\n \u25cb The \u00a3400 million Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund. \u25cf To further support the commercial environment for investment, the Government laid its Statement of Strategic Priorities for Ofcom<\/a> in Parliament, formally confirming the regulation needed to maximise the deployment of gigabit broadband.<\/p>\n \u25cf The Government has spent \u00a31.8 billion bringing superfast broadband to over 96 per cent of the country, with thousands of homes and businesses connected each week.<\/p>\n \u25cf Not all areas of the country have decent broadband. To tackle this the Government has introduced the Universal Service Obligation of 10 megabits per second. This is due to come into force in March next year and will give every home and business the legal right to request a decent connection up to a Reasonable Cost Threshold of \u00a33,400 per premise.<\/p>\n Key facts<\/strong> \u25cf 40 per cent of operators\u2019 requests seeking access from a landlord receive no response.<\/p>\n \u25cf It is estimated that operators will connect an extra 3,000 properties a year as a result of the Leasehold Property Bill.<\/p>\n \u25cf 22 per cent of new build developments in 2019 have been built without a gigabit-capable connection.<\/p>\n \u25cf 40,000 new homes are built a year without full fibre.<\/p>\n \u25cf A gigabit-capable network connection is one that is capable of achieving 1,000 megabits per second, i.e. 1 gigabits per second, download speeds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Government also made a separate mention of the \u00a33.6bn Towns Fund (here<\/a>), which includes some investment for broadband too, even though we don’t think much of that will actually go toward the digital connectivity side of things as it’s mostly intended for transport.<\/p>\n One other thing worth mentioning is that the Queen merely spoke of “fast, reliable and secure broadband networks.<\/em>” Nowhere is PM Boris Johnson’s<\/strong> original 2025 target date used as a reference for achieving complete “gigabit-capable<\/em>” broadband coverage. Instead they say this: “Roll out gigabit capable broadband across the UK to achieve nationwide coverage as soon as possible<\/strong><\/em>.” Vague.<\/p>\n Finally, the Queen also said her “ministers will continue to develop proposals to improve internet safety<\/em>,” which was followed by a Government statement to say: “We are committed to making the UK the safest place to be online and will continue to develop proposals to achieve this end, including the introduction of new regulations for internet companies which ensure protections for web users<\/em>.”<\/p>\n The above reflects their existing proposals under the April 2019 Online Harms White Paper<\/a><\/strong>, although we’re still awaiting the related legislation to show up for debate. As we said earlier, none of the above is particularly new but it does confirm the direction of travel and the key details will hopefully emerge once the new National Infrastructure Strategy<\/strong> (NIS) is published in the coming weeks or months.<\/p>\n UPDATE 1:06pm<\/strong><\/p>\n A comment has arrived from UK ISP Glide.<\/p>\n James Warner, Managing Director at Glide, said: <\/strong><\/p>\n “In the current political climate, we are thrilled that the rollout of the digital infrastructure to support communities and business across the whole of the UK was a key part of this morning\u2019s Opening Statement, and that the Government is taking the key steps to implement this across the UK.<\/p>\n The plans to bring forward the national infrastructure strategy and the development of legislation to accelerate the implementation of fast and reliable broadband networks will play a huge part in getting our connectivity deployment up to the same level as our European counterparts. It is no secret that the UK is lagging behind when it comes to being a fully-connected nation, so it is reassuring that there are plans in place to make a full-fibre Britain a reality.<\/p>\n It will certainly be interesting to see how the government plans to implement this within the timeframe, as we know that historically the installation of full-fibre has been a slow and expensive deployment. The DCMS Gigabit voucher has made a real difference in ensuring British businesses have the support to access super-fast broadband – to date the scheme has allowed us to help over 1,100 businesses across the UK.<\/p>\n As a leading broadband provider, we could not be more enthusiastic to hear about the government’s aims and we are very much looking forward to the opportunity to sit down with ministers to discuss the steps we have taken to support British businesses so far, and support with plans to ensure every home and business has access to full-fibre broadband.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n UPDATE 4:23pm<\/strong><\/p>\n The boss of rural fibre and wireless ISP County Broadband has added his comment.<\/p>\n Lloyd Felton, CEO of County Broadband, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n “Full fibre broadband will play a unique role in post-Brexit Britain \u2013 underpinning incredible advances in technology to unlock huge economic growth and transforming our way of life. We welcome the Queen\u2019s Speech unveiling the National Infrastructure Strategy which promises to help us deliver world-class digital connectivity in East Anglia and make our region future-ready.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n UPDATE 15th October 2019 (7:04am)<\/strong><\/p>\n Openreach<\/a> has given their comment.<\/p>\n An Openreach<\/a> spokesperson said:<\/strong><\/p>\n “We\u2019ve been calling for measures that encourage greater investment in full fibre broadband networks, so it\u2019s great to see the Government outlining new legislation that will do just that.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s speech aligns with our ambitions to build faster, more reliable broadband to as many homes and businesses as possible, and to help make sure no one is left behind.<\/p>\n There\u2019s still more Government can do – for example, reforming business rates which penalise fibre infrastructure \u2013 but this is a positive step in the right direction.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n\u25cf Roll out gigabit capable broadband across the UK to achieve nationwide coverage as soon as possible so people can reap the huge benefits of the fastest, most secure and most resilient internet connections, regardless of where they live.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n\u25cf Faster speeds (one gigabit, i.e. 1,000 megabits per second) boosting productivity, driving innovation in our public services and giving people the fast connectivity they need to access equal opportunities and reap the benefits of the digital revolution.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u25cf Creating a cheaper and faster light-touch tribunal process for telecoms companies to obtain interim code rights (or access rights) for a period of up to 18 months. This will mean that they can install broadband connections where the landlord has failed to respond to repeated requests for access.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf The Bill’s provisions extend and apply to the whole of the UK. Telecommunications is a reserved matter.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf To ensure that no part of the country is left without next-generation broadband, the Government has recently pledged \u00a35 billion to support the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband in the hardest to reach 20 per cent of the country.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cb The \u00a3200 million Local Full Fibre Networks Programme which funds locally-led full fibre projects.
\n\u25cb The \u00a3200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme which will deploy gigabit capable broadband to local hubs in rural areas, starting with primary schools.
\n\u25cb The \u00a367 million Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf One in seven people in the UK live in flats or apartments and it is estimated there are 450,000 blocks of flats in the UK.<\/p>\n