The government’s ‘Digital Britain’ plan
On Friday, 17 October, Stephen Carter, the minister for communications, telecoms and broadcasting, announced that he was putting together an action plan to ‘secure the UK’s place at the forefront of innovation, investment and quality in the digital and communications industries’.
His statement, recognises the strategic importance of the sector for the future of the British economy. The action plan will move forward from the work of the Convergence Think-tank, the Caio report on next generation broadband access, work with ISPs on file-sharing, The Byron Review, the Digital Radio Working Group and the Digital Inclusion Action Plan.
The action plan will work around four conditions for ‘Digital Britain’: ‘open markets; empowered and informed consumers and citizens; universal access to public service content; and a responsive regulatory framework’. It is expected in Spring 2009.
Intellect welcomes government renewed ambition for a truly ‘digital Britain’, with a leading UK role in the digital and communications industries. Since 2005’s Capitalising on Convergence report, Intellect, the High Tech industries trade association, has identified the crucial economic role of convergence between telecoms, IT, consumer electronics and creative content. The current economic outlook only outlines to the need to embrace future growth.
Intellect has also long called for further ‘convergence’ in government. Stephen Carter’s role spanning BERR and DCMS is very welcome. Also, welcome is his intention to draw on government and industry for how to support the development of the knowledge and learning economy.
The government is also right to see the future of convergence being in open markets combined with responsive regulation and empowered consumers and citizens. Intellect will be working with government, with and on behalf of members to feed into the action plan.
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