Digital Connectivity in a Post-Covid World
Hannah Griffiths
COVID-19 has driven a step-change expansion in our digital activity and many of these changes will only accelerate beyond the pandemic. During the lockdowns and social distancing of the pandemic, the fixed and mobile networks that enable our digital lives have proved critical, with governments ranking telecoms staff alongside doctors, nurses and teachers as ‘key workers’.
In performance terms, digital infrastructure has been relatively resilient throughout 2020’s dramatic surges in demand. Measuring network performance, however, only focuses on those already enjoying the benefits of digital connectivity. It masks the underlying issue of those who lack access.
Connectivity for all
COVID-19 has exposed stark digital divides between communities. Many regions still lack high-capacity digital infrastructure. Without rapid infrastructure expansion, communities risk being left behind during the COVID-19 recovery. The market will take care of commercially viable areas. But what strategies should local authorities be looking at to make our recovery and expansion effective and inclusive?
How do you spark a digital recovery?
We know our future economy will need high-capacity, gigabit-capable connectivity offered by fixed full-fibre and 5G networks. The disruption and costs associated with laying fibre and deploying 5G equipment risks slowing their roll-out. But there are some innovative ways to overcome these issues:
Use transport networks to kickstart expansion
Existing transport networks can provide opportunities to deploy new digital infrastructure quickly, at a fraction of the usual cost. The ongoing digitalisation of rail networks with fibre infrastructure creates new chances to extend broadband coverage to communities in ways the private sector providers can’t achieve alone.
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has taken advantage of opportunities to construct infrastructure at low cost by installing ducts in new developments and new road schemes (‘dig once), sharing capacity with urban traffic control, and installing fibre in spare ducting alongside the new tramway.
Let authority needs drive public benefits
City and local authorities can now make improved connectivity a central requirement in tenders and attract new fibre providers. As major users of digital services, city and local government can use their own purchasing power to introduce greater competition, promoting affordability, quality and wider coverage for everyone.
Rather than simply tendering for connectivity for council buildings, the City of York saw the potential in a bid the leveraged this consolidated demand to install a city-wide fibre optic ring. This allowed more of the public sector estate to connect affordably, underpinned key infrastructure platforms such as traffic lights and enabled the provision of free, high-speed WiFi in the city centre.
Streamline access arrangements to attract market players
Local authorities can attract providers to their towns and cities by streamlining permitting procedures and offering access through the use if wayleaves and leases.
The London Borough of Southwark was aware that some areas in the borough, particularly housing estates, suffered from very slow internet connections and that the market had no plans to make any upgrades. In 2018, the council signed non-exclusive wayleave agreements with two providers to make gigabit-fast broadband available to over 53,000 homes. The programmes is being delivered at no cost to the council, with fibre installations of all estates being fully-funded and managed by the internet providers.
With working from home becoming commonplace, remote learning forming an integral part of ongoing education provision and businesses in every sector, from retail to higher education, scrambling to develop all-online services, connectivity is only going to become more important. For stakeholders in local authorities, it’s time to think creatively about how to deliver their digital infrastructure ambitions.