Digital Britain

The UK government announced on 29 January 2009 that it planned to have 100% broadband coverage in the UK by 2012, with a minimum speed of 2 Mbit/s. Some industry experts, including broadband think tank PointTopic and measurement site SamKnows, claimed that these plans were ill thought out.{{cite news | title=UK has 'uphill struggle to 2Mbps' |date=26 February 2009 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7910679.stm | publisher=BBC News Online}} However, a government-backed forum hoped to address such issues, with a view to succeeding within the 2012 deadline.{{cite web |url=http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/5631.aspx/ |title=Digital Britain |date=16 June 2009 |publisher=Department for Culture, Media and Sport (UK) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707085424/http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/5631.aspx |archivedate=2009-07-07 }}

Closely based on a 2007 government-commissioned think tank report from The Work Foundation,{{cite web | title=Staying ahead: the economic performance of the UK’s creative industries | url=http://www.theworkfoundation.com/research/publications/publicationdetail.aspx?oItemId=176}} the final Digital Britain report was released on 16 June 2009,{{cite web |url=http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/6216.aspx |title=Digital Britain: The Final Report – 16 June 2009 |publisher=Culture.gov.uk |accessdate=2011-09-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420035400/http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/6216.aspx |archivedate=2010-04-20 }} and made a number of recommendations with regard to broadband access, internet use and public service broadcasting. Among these recommendations were:

• Three year plan to boost digital participation
• Universal access to broadband by 2012
• Fund to invest in next generation broadband
• Digital radio upgrade by 2015
• Liberalisation of 3G spectrum
• Support for public service content partnerships
• Changed role for Channel 4
• Consultation on how to fund local, national and regional news
• A new "more robust system" for the classification of video games{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8103351.stm|title= At a glance: Digital Britain|publisher= BBC News|date= 16 June 2009|accessdate= 20 June 2009}}

In August 2009, responsibility for the project was moved to Stephen Timms, the Financial Secretary, who was previously the minister responsible for e-commerce and used to work in the telecoms industry. He reported to Peter Mandelson.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8187884.stm Timms to lead 'Digital Britain'], BBC, 6 August 2009

Mandelson had been seeking a legal and regulatory attack on copyright infringement by statutory instrument.[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/nov/19/mandelson-copyright-filesharing-murdoch-google Mandelson seeks to amend copyright law in new crackdown on filesharing], The Guardian, 19 November 2009 In November 2009 he added these measures into the Digital Economy Bill, but faced objections from leading internet companies.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8390623.stm Web giants unite against Digital Britain copyright plan], BBC News, 2 December 2009

The Pre-Budget Report in December 2009 included a new tax of £6 p.a. on home land lines to fund the expansion of broadband.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8403273.stm Broadband tax included in pre-Budget report], BBC News, 9 Dec 2009 This was included in the March 2010 United Kingdom Budget, but dropped from the Finance Bill due to lack of time after the general election was called.[http://www.accountancyage.com/accountancyage/news/2260919/finance-bill-carved-indeadline Finance Bill carved out in deadline scramble] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412050706/http://www.accountancyage.com/accountancyage/news/2260919/finance-bill-carved-indeadline |date=2010-04-12 }}, Accountancy Age, 7 Apr 2010 In his Budget speech, Chancellor Alistair Darling had also announced tax breaks for the British video game industry, and reiterated the Government's target of 90% Broadband coverage by 2017—but omitted to repeat the target of 100% by 2020.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8584873.stm Budget 2010: Darling puts emphasis on broadband for all], BBC News, 24 March 2010

In March 2010 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced the National Plan for Digital Participation, aiming "to ensure that everyone who wants to be online can get online, do more online and benefit from the advantages of being online."{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalparticipation.com/national-plan |title=Digital Participation Consortium |accessdate=14 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323020408/http://www.digitalparticipation.com/national-plan |archivedate=23 March 2010 }}

The Digital Britain report served as a catalyst for a number of later initiatives led by the public and private sectors. In October 2019, the Lord Mayor of London launched "future.now", a consortium of leading companies, education providers, and charities working in collaboration with government to empower everyone to thrive in a digital UK.{{cite web |url=https://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lord-mayor-of-london-brings-together-coalition-of-businesses-and-civil-society-groups-to-drive-forward-the-uks-digital-skills-agenda/ |title=future.now |accessdate=19 October 2019 }}{{cite web |url=https://sullyray123.medium.com/future-now-empowering-everyone-to-thrive-in-a-digital-uk-a90142e7ae31 |title=Launch of future.now |accessdate=15 October 2019 }} Pre-eminent firms in the digital economy including Accenture, BT Group, Digital British, Deloitte, and Nominet have either directly supported the coalition or made statements in support of improving digital skills for longer term economic benefit.

• Broadband universal service
• Satellite Internet access

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.digitalbritainforum.org.uk/ Digital Britain Forum] Official discussion and feedback site
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090310212214/http://www.culture.gov.uk//what_we_do//broadcasting//5631.aspx Digital Britain] Official information and reports
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20111211002214/http://www.digitalparticipation.com/sites/default/files/national-plan/National-Plan-Digital-Participation-Final.pdf National Plan for Digital Participation]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100630180443/http://blog.simplifydigital.co.uk/2010/06/government-to-look-at-low-cost-ideas-to-fulfil-digital-britain-promise/ Government to look at low-cost ideas to fulfil Digital Britain promise]
• [https://www.accenture.com/gb-en/about/technology-index Accenture Technology] Accenture Technology
• [https://www.bt.com/about/bt/our-company/group-businesses/digital BT Group Digital Unit] BT Group Digital Unit
• [https://digital-british.com Digital British] Digital British
• [https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/digital-transformation.html Deloitte Digital Transformation] Deloitte Digital Transformation
• [https://www.nominet.uk/digital-futures/ Nominet Digital Futures] Nominet Digital Futures
• [http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100511084737/interactive.bis.gov.uk/digitalbritain/ The Archived Digital Britain Website]

Category:Internet in the United Kingdom