UK Plc must remain open for online business - EURIM

The UK must keep pursuing policies to ensure it remains the "location of choice" for high-value, knowledge-based business and industries, according to MP tech group EURIM.

The call came in response to comments by Communications Minister, Ed Vaizey at the reception to launch the Information Society Alliance (EURIM) policy studies prospectus last week.

Vaizey had said: "The ICT sector is an integral and growing part of the UK economy, but in the Internet age we cannot view the UK in isolation. We are part of a global digital market and we must face the challenges this brings or risk losing our competitive edge. The Government is committed to equipping the UK with the tools to meet these challenges, and building a broadband network that covers the whole of the country is one of our key priorities."

The event, co-hosted by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed globally, was designed to underline the Coalition's commitment to supporting international business and attracting investors to the UK through a range of 'business-friendly' initiatives, such as bringing more private expertise to Government, supporting institutional investors in winning large scale projects in the UK, and attracting a pipeline of up to 750 foreign direct investments every year.

But later, MP Stephen McPartland said focus must not be lost by politicians, officials and industry, who must continue to work together to produce joined up policies at local, national and European level to allow such innovations as shared infrastructures for broadband, smart metering and economic recovery around UK-based global production and trading hubs.

The EURIM document builds on the recent decisions on Government support for local area broadband projects, concluding that 100 Mbps broadband across the UK can be achieved with the funds already available, provided a mix of local enterprise and market forces makes full use of existing infrastructure.

The group also believes sharing and building on existing infrastructures could dramatically cut the cost of providing local online access to public services thus enabling major savings to both central and local Government as well as opening up access for business. Factors in this include:

* 5,600 telephone exchanges in the UK through which broadband reaches homes are now open - but there are 150,000 power substations reaching around 98% of homes. In many cases, however, fibre could be strung up alongside power lines to homes instead of digging up roads, it says

* The UK has an extensive schools network with a Government requirement for each to have a minimum standard of broadband connectivity; primary schools typically have 20 Mbps and secondary schools 100 Mbps. In some cases these are already being used to provide broadband to local councils, businesses and homes, but could more be done?

* At the same time, hundreds of millions of pounds are being spent to upgrade NHS networks, councils around the UK are planning network upgrades and the Department of Energy and Climate Change is co-ordinating an £11bn smart metering programme which will entail physical installation visits to over 30 million households and businesses as well as an always-on communications network.

Other studies announced at the reception included a major exercise on information and identity governance to ensure clear and coherent government and regulatory initiatives.

The Information Society Alliance is the policy studies group for Information Society issues. It is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee with political members (including MPs and MEPs), corporate members, professional bodies, trade associations and other interest groups. Officials and advisors in London and Brussels have observer status. Its activities include organising working groups to look at ICT and related issues that Government, policy makers, officials and/or industry agree need to be addressed.

The groups aim for peer-reviewed consensus and practical recommendations on what should happen.