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Jamie Potter, BDUKTowards 100% - overcoming the hurdles and making delivery easier

• Provide superfast broadband to 90% of premises in the UK by early 2016, and further extend this to 95% of the UK by December 2017.

• Provide universal access to standard broadband (speeds of more than 2 Mbps).

• Improve broadband connections for SMEs across 52 cities, by March 2015.

• Test the viability of alternative technologies and commercial models for delivering superfast broadband in hard to reach areas.

• Provide State aid cover to support Local Body broadband rollout

Broadband Delivery UK: Objectives

1. Superfast broadband coverage available to 90% of UK homes and businesses (up from 45% in 2010); on track to achieve 95% by Dec 2017.

2. BDUK programme has connected over 4 million additional premises todate, bringing the total number of superfast premises to over 25.8 million.

3. Launched universal 2Mbps standard broadband access across the UK.

4. Seven Market Test Pilots completed to test alternative solutions to deliver superfast broadband

5. Provided over 50,000 connection vouchers to SMEs

6. Achieved approval for an umbrella State aid scheme with capacity for £500 million of new broadband projects.

Broadband Delivery UK: Delivering

Better Broadband Scheme

• Introduced with BT in December 2015 to deliver Universal Service Commitment

• Original scheme gave subsidised access to Satellite broadband

• Scheme reviewed early 2016, feedback suggested wider technology choice was key to take-up

• Scheme amended from 1 June 2016 - Technology neutral offering customer choice

• Any supplier providing they can demonstrate existence of a live service offering can apply to be an approved supplier on the scheme (subject to on-boarding process)

• Customers can apply online at their relevant Superfast project website. Paper applications are also available where required

BDUK and Local Bodies are continuing with plans to reach – and exceed – the 95% superfast target by undertaking 3 core activities:

1. Closely managing existing contracts to completion or extending contracts where appropriate

2. Running new procurements to support rollout of superfast broadband to additional “NGA white” areas

3. Working with suppliers to maximise potential commercial coverage

The Universal Service Obligation (USO) promises a minimum of 10Mbps, but BDUK want to take superfast as far as possible

How do we take superfast further?

• Is their sufficient funding available at present?

• Do contract suppliers have the right Delivery Resources

• How can we make new Procurements straightforward?

• Is the Data that we hold correct?

• Is the The Final 5% where we think it is?

• How can UK Govt help suppliers overcome delivery issues?

Current Issues

• Major commercial investment happening: we expect up to £10 billion worth of industry investment in the next four years.

• This is primarily in Ultrafast technology: BT has pledged £6 billion and Virgin Media £3 billion, bringing ultrafast to a combined total of 16 million more premises.

• Also seeing significant investment from K Com and alternative providers like Gigaclear, Hyperoptic and, locally, B4RN, who will be providing their FTTP coverage to hundreds of thousands of UK premises.

• Between them the Mobile Network Operators are investing £5 billion to reach 90% voice geographic coverage by 2017

Encouraging private investment

Making deployment easier for suppliers

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Broadband Cost Reduction Directive implemented on 31st July 2016 - designed to reduce the cost of broadband deployment by enabling the sharing of passive infrastructure across utility, transport, and communications sectors.

Digital Economy Bill measures

• New Electronic Communications Code to cut the cost and simplify building mobile and broadband infrastructure on private land

• planning related measure to make permanent change introduced in 2013 to reduce planning costs for providers deploying cabinets and poles, speed up the process and give greater planning certainty.

Broadband Investment Fund to be established to support the growth of alternative network developers by providing greater access to finance.