Local government ICT leaders must lead rural broadband charge - Socitm

Socitm, the association for ICT professionals in local public services, is urging local CIOs and Heads of ICT to take a leading role in council initiatives to bring broadband to the UK’s ‘not-spots.’

Arguing that local councils have the power to promote or improve the economic and social well-being of their area, in which access to broadband now plays an essential role, Socitm Insight’s latest briefing suggests that IT chiefs are the council managers best qualified to lead such initiatives to deliver broadband.

 

Rural broadband: superfast or superslow? is a new report the group has published as the deadline approaches for councils to apply to the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK office (BDUK) for funding to improve broadband services in the UK.

 

The briefing points out that many commentators have argued that the BDUK funding is not enough, and that for councils to raise matched funding, as they are required to do, is a big ‘ask’ at a time when they are already struggling to fund core services. It also says that the Government’s aspiration to deliver access to broadband of at least 2Mbps to 90% of citizens and businesses by the end of 2015 will actually lead to a ‘two-speed Britain’ since commercially supplied city dwellers will by then be benefiting from broadband speeds of up to 200Mbps. At the same time, 10% of the UK will still be without a wired connection.

 

Against this background, Rural broadband: superfast or superslow? urges local authorities not to give up on the national broadband programme, but rather to use it as something to build on, while developing their own initiatives to make what money there is stretch much further.

 

Public sector agencies must work together, says the briefing, to make the most of existing assets by overcoming legal and commercial barriers. Re-use of existing infrastructure, including ducts and public service networks will be essential to drive down costs and to make the limited investment go further. Exploitation of new technology, reuse of analogue signal, 4G, higher take up, and satellite, can all be deployed as part of the local mix.

 

IT leaders working in local authorities have the technical knowledge to assemble a practical design and business case for local broadband initiatives, and are well-placed to convince politicians and local people of the benefits for communities. Key challenges will be getting disparate groups to work together, assembling funds and labour from a variety of sources, and working through the bureaucracy, be it from government or the legislative framework.

 

The briefing demonstrates that local communities can bring considerable commitment and resources to such initiatives by citing as an example The Broadband for the Rural North project (aka B4RN), a Community Benefit Society, currently promoting a ‘DiY’ scheme to provide 100% coverage in eight rural Lancashire parishes. As part of the scheme, many landowners are digging their own, and their neighbours’ trenches for cable. Volunteers will train in techniques such as fusing fibres, splicing and making the terminations into local connections.

 

"Internet access in rural areas is especially important for jobs, education and business, particularly where transport infrastructure is not always good," claims Socitm Past-President and Local CIO Council Chair, Jos Creese, who is urging Socitm members to put all their weight behind the government initiative in order to accelerate progress.

 

"Local politicians are waking up to the opportunities that broadband offers, and recognise the downsides of being left behind," added Chris Head, author of the briefing. "

 

Now is the time for Socitm members to add their skills to help accelerate progress."