Broadband News

The National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (Nesta) is calling on the Government to think more creatively about how it could encourage fibre to be rolled out by rewarding companies with digital radio spectrum for Wi-Max use.

Whilst media coverage of a report its published earlier this week centred on a ‘fibre for spectrum’ swap, the organisation is actually suggesting a totally new way of looking at radio and broadband as a single, related entity rather than separate industries. This would mean anyone rolling out fibre could be offered the necessary radio spectrum for a Wi-Max service (to give large area wireless broadband access).

One of the report’s authors James Meadway suggests that a radical rethink is necessary, particularly if the current economic climate is considered.

“At the moment broadband down pipes and radio spectrum is handled completely separately but we’re saying there should be some joined-up thinking,” he says.

“We’re saying that with a downturn it makes sense to use spectrum to encourage companies to roll out fibre, boost internet speeds and create jobs rather than expect the previous system of companies outbidding one another in an auction to work. We’re saying radio spectrum should be the carrot, it should be what we use to give fibre a much needed kick up the backside!

“A potential example would be BT being given, in return for rolling out fibre, the necessary spectrum to offer Wi-Max services across the country.”

Meadway suggests this is the best use of what’s widely referred to as the ‘digital dividend’ afforded by the switch in radio communications and television from analogue to more spectrum efficient digital technologies.  Whereas in the boom times companies would bid huge sums for digital spectrum, such as the 3G mobile phone auction, Nesta believes the days of such exuberance are over, at least for the time being, and new spectrum should be used to encourage the roll out super fast broadband services.

Nesta is an independent body funded, since inception ten years ago, by an endowment from the National Lottery.

Its calls were made ahead of next week’s Digital Britain report in which Communications Minister, Stephen Carter, is expected to outline the Government’s vision of the way forward for broadband in the UK, including how digital ‘have-nots’ can be provided with broadband, how the next generation networks will be rolled out and how to deal with online piracy through P2P file sharing sites.