What industry commentators would like to see in the Digital
Britain report.
Axel Pawlik, managing director,
RIPE NCC, the European
internet address registrar:
"The more widespread the internet becomes, the more computers
will be connected to the UK-wide network. For the 'broadband for
all by 2012' vision of the UK government to become a reality, we
need a dramatic increase in the number of IP addresses, the numeric
IDs assigned to all devices connected to the internet.
"The IP addresses currently most widely in use, IP version 4,
are set to run out by 2011. So, to connect all computers to
high-speed internet, the new generation of IP addresses, known as
IPv6 must be rolled out.
"The RIPE NCC urges the UK government to take an active approach
to driving adoption of IPv6 among telcos, ISPs and businesses of
all sizes. It can lead by making its own services available over
IPv6, and using the power its wields as a procurer of technology to
encourage UK-wide deployment."
"Few investments offer greater economic potential than expanding
broadband access. Securing investment in high-capacity networks
relies on a policy framework that supports investment. Those
investing in new lines must be able to guarantee the efficient flow
of traffic over the internet and charge appropriately for their
services.
"Large-scale fibre optic investment is essential and government
policy makers must resist introducing any sort of regulation that
deters private companies from spending the money needed to upgrade
the internet infrastructure."
Paul Gainham,
Juniper Networks, a
network equipment supplier:
"The goals of Digital Britain are admirable and should bring
major benefits to UK plc in terms of its competitive edge on the
global stage.
"Those goals will be achieved only if the fundamentals of
today's internet business model are transformed. Simply cutting and
pasting today's model and throwing additional bandwidth into the
mix will not create a sustainable platform for long-term
growth.
"The internet is not a humanitarian project, and all the players
in the delivery chain need to demonstrate their value and to make a
respectable return from their investments.
"There is a common misconception that "problems" with service
levels on the internet relate to the access bandwidth provided into
the home. It is not all about bandwidth; it is the way content and
applications are created, managed and delivered which is critical.
The supply chain behind the broadband access network, all the way
back to the content source, is involved, and this is the crux that
needs to be addressed."
Chris Williams, media
partner,
Deloitte, a management consultancy:
"Stimulating investment in a next-generation broadband
infrastructure for Britain has been at the heart of the Digital
Britain debate. Deloitte believes the customer has to be at the
centre of the debate.
"Making high-speed broadband access universally available is no
guarantee that all consumers will take it up. Demand and
willingness to pay for services varies significantly. Some people
view broadband as an essential utility, others would opt out even
if services were free.
"Deloitte believes if high-speed broadband is to succeed, three
principles need to be adopted:
- Online services need to offer something new that the customer
will value significantly above today's alternatives to drive a
desire for increased bandwidth;
- The customer business model needs to be viable and sustainable
for all parties in the value chain;
- New ways must be found to target segments of the population
that do not currently use any broadband services.
"By putting the customer back at the centre of the debate, the
industry can avoid the 'build-it and they will come' mentality, and
will create a competitive environment that puts Britain in the
foreground of the digital landscape."
Dominic Monkhouse, managing
director, PEER 1, a
website hosting company:
"I expect the Digital Britain report to contain recommendations
on: illegal file-sharing and digital rights management; broadband
proliferation and speeds; data storage and security; and the
investment required in infrastructure.
"As such, the report has far-reaching implications on businesses
because it creates opportunity, seeks to protect interests, as well
as restrict and regulate other practices."
Lee Myall,
Interoute, a communications
services provider:
"It seems a lot to ask internet service providers (ISPs) to
provide personal customer data to rights holders, or any other
industry, if that could lead to court action. It could be seen as a
breach of privacy and could damage customer relationships. It also
means a huge extra administrative burden for ISPs on behalf of the
content industry.
"We need to look to the industries that are immediately impacted
by piracy and file-sharing for a solution. The emerging answer
appears to combine availability, exploitability and ease of
purchase of content. For example, Spotify is an online catalogue,
easy to access and exploit positively. However, it does not allow
users to download the file.
"To sell these files via download, distributors could embed
unique identifiers in the files. These will allow them to manage
online distribution without compromising quality or quantity."