Prospect members in communications, media and digital

www.prospect.org.uk • Issue 3, November 2015 DIGITALEYE PROSPECT SETS OUT ITS VISION FOR DIGITAL’S FUTURE PROSPECT has published its response to a discussion document on ’s strategic review of digital communications. The response focuses heavily on the ‘structural separation’ of BT – whether it should be established as a stand-alone business entirely independent of BT. Prospect believes that structural separation is wrong because it would: ●● chill investment in superfast broadband ●● create uncertainty for employees ●● undermine essential improvements in quality of service ●● jeopardise the pan-BT research effort, from which all customers benefit ●● increase Openreach’s costs. Ben Marshall, Prospect national secretary, (left) said: “Structural ‘WORKING FOR BT’ IN 2015 separation is an enormous and untimely distraction from the essential challenges at hand, Average pay up 2.2% which are to extend and improve superfast broadband coverage and – but discontent on quality of service. We think Ofcom should make performance scores an early move to rule this out of its PROSPECT HAS published the received a bonus but 30% of those with consideration. final report of its 2015 ‘Working for a DN did not receive one. “We have used our BT’ survey. ●● One in five people in response to outline our The survey, which has Global Services received a vision for the future, in which investment and quality of been published over discretionary payment. service form a virtuous circle. a number of years, Bonuses were generally “We also comment on convergence trends, particularly focuses on how BT higher in value than in fixed-mobile communications, which are driving the implemented this year’s they were in 2013. merger proposals we are now seeing in the industry.” pay and bonus review, But there was The union does see a case for some change, especially and acts as a strong considerable on quality of service, where the industry as a whole has a check, particularly on discontent among poor record. BT’s approach to the members about Prospect Marshall pointed to Openreach’s new consumer charter, pay agreement. their performance which the union strongly supports, as something which The main highlights are: scores, particularly ● could make a real difference. ● The average pay increase where these were • DigitalEye “We are excited by the possibilities that the charter that members received in lower than one. represents to meet our vision for a permanent increase June was 2.22%. This is slightly xyz said: “We are in quality,” he said. “The industry needs to get together to lower than the headline increase grateful to members 2015 November – agree standards which Ofcom can support and which will because of differences in who took the time to complete a  serve the interests of all consumers.” performance profile. questionnaire. We will putting the Ofcom will publish a document outlining the next ●● In half of cases, a ‘development results to BT in our discussions. stages in the review at the end of the year. needed’ APR led to a zero review. ■■ Download the full report from ■■ Read more aboutLatest Prospect’srevision of response this document: on pages https://library.prospect.org.uk/id/2015/01394 4–5. ●● More than nine in 10 (92%) Prospect’s library: http://library. This revision: https://library.prospect.org.uk/id/2015/01394/2017-04-20 respondents (outside Global Services) prospect.org.uk/id/2015/01316 2 NEWS

BT Adastral Park reps do their bit for

charity – and Philip Williams, 65, left BT the union in 2004 after a distinguished career spanning nearly 40 Senior reps on BT’s executive years. Here he explains why committee saw at first hand how reps at BT Adastral Park are using he is still a Prospect member recruitment successes to raise funds ■■Philip Williams – Former – and more involved with ■■... has stayed in Prospect for charity. BT empoyee and… the union than ever before despite leaving BT BT Adastral Park branches have had a long-running campaign to make the most of Prospect’s Why Prospect is my Member Recruit Member scheme, which offers existing members a £10 reward for every colleague they sign up to the union. union for life I JOINED the as an apprentice www.prospect.org.uk in 1966 when I was 16. I was soon working in STAY WITH a repeater station and took unpaid leave to do Can Prospect help a computer and communication engineering PROSPECT me if I’m moving to a new job or degree at Essex University. WHETHER you’re starting looking for work? training, changing jobs or In 1974 I was working with a team at YOUR FUTURE AT WORK (now better known as BT Adastral facing redundancy, you don’t Park) who were programming computers to have to give up your Prospect recognise postcodes from mail items. Soon after I membership. joined the team, news about Colossus and enigma We will continue to provide you with code breaking emerged. professional support and services. Plus, if you are It transpired that some of the Martlesham not currently earning or on a reduced income, team was involved in that effort. I even had some you will pay a lower subscription. manuals inscribed with the name of one person For more information: http://bit.ly/unionforlife By pooling their rewards, who had helped build Colossus. Prospect reps and members were By the early 80s, through various job changes setting up my own company to provide IT able to donate £100 worth of and promotions, I was managing the computer consultancy and web development services. vouchers to the Families In Need and support unit for Martlesham, one of the most Being self-employed can be lonely. I always charity. complex networks in Europe. attend our regular branch meetings, which As an added incentive, everyone My role then changed at the turn of the have other self-employed members. It’s good who recruited a new member was millennium when I became responsible for the for exchanging ideas and taking part in lively entered into a draw to win shopping team looking after all of BT’s desktop estate – discussions. vouchers worth £50. some 120,000 PCs across the country. This was my ■■ I have been a member of previous incarnations The lucky winner, Bobby Moss, most satisfying job at BT. of what is now Prospect for more than 40 years. received his prize from Prospect rep, Following a successful secondment as IT Obviously, an employer can do without my Alan Smith (right). director at the Eden Project, I left BT in July 2004. services for longer than I can do without a job. I ■■ Find out more about Families In The pressure on senior managers to do more with believe that in most cases the employer will take Need: www.findipswich.org.uk less was becoming unbearable and I was offered advantage of its employees. It’s only by helping ■■ Prospect’s Member Recruit an attractive redundancy package. and supporting each other that we will get a Since then I have maintained my membership fair deal. Prospect Member scheme: bit.ly/ prospect_MRM and become more active in the union while • DigitalEye AUTO ENROLMENT IN BT PENSION SCHEMES ON 1 November 2015, BT auto-enrolled If you are a BT employee and not turning down a significant amount 2015 November –  1,800 employees into either its BT currently contributing to any BT of free money, particularly if you

Published by Prospect, Retirement Saving Scheme or the pension scheme, you will have been are auto-enrolled into the BTRSS. BT New Prospect House, National Employment Savings Trust. auto-enrolled by now. will contribute 8% of your pay if you 8 Leake Street, London SE1 7NN NEST is for people who have taken Ben Marshall said: “Please think contribute 5% – this is pre-tax income, DigitalEye editor: Boc Ly their BT pension while still working for carefully if you are thinking of opting so it will cost you much less than 5% of e [email protected] t 020 7902 6602 the company. back out, as you will effectively be your take home pay.” Printed by College Hill Press NEWS 3

O2 BRINGS ‘DIGITAL COMMUNITY’ TO MERSEYSIDE has launched a pilot project to bring greater digital opportunities to people and businesses in St Helens on Merseyside. The project, in collaboration with St Helens council, started in October and runs until the end of the year. It includes: ●● digital makeovers for local businesses ●● a skills exchange to match young people to digital jobs ●● technology workshops ●● skills sessions for local residents ●● £300 grants and mentoring for 30 entrepreneurs with digital ideas ●● hot desks and remote working spaces. Innovation centre Speaking at the launch of the scheme, Ben Dowd, O2 business director, said: “It’s promising to see so many digital jobs being created but we can’t get complacent. The puts UK at forefront economy is nowhere near digital maturity and worryingly the opportunities that are being created are predominantly of transformative 5G in the south.” A study carried out by O2 found that Britain would A STATE-OF-THE-ART research have already developed a way of need a further 2.2 million digitally skilled workers by 2020. facility dedicated to developing next enabling speeds of one terabit per However, nearly half of those jobs will be created in London generation wireless communications second (Tbps) – more than 1,000 times and the South East. technology has opened at the faster than the highest possible 4G He added that the ambitious project with St Helens University of Surrey. speeds. Council would show other communities what was possible. The 5G Innovation Centre at the Marking the opening of the “We are creating a blueprint for other communities university’s Guildford campus will be centre, Jo Johnson, minister for up and down the country so the entire nation can feel the a base for more than 170 researchers universities and science, said: “The benefits of the UK’s growing digital economy,” Dowd said. and aims to give the UK a competitive development of 5G presents a ■■ http://connect.o2.co.uk/HelloStHelens advantage in building a 5G mobile significant economic opportunity network that can underpin the “internet of things”. Smartphone users can currently enjoy the benefits of fast broadband speeds on the (still relatively new) 4G networks. However, 5G has the potential to revolutionise the way we live and work. Professor Rahim Tafazolli, director of the ■ 5GIC, said: “While we ■5G will change professional and private lives EU consults on Internet have already achieved record-breaking speeds, 5G is not only and this world-leading centre will speed beyond 2020 THE European Commission is launching a public about delivering faster mobile internet. position the UK at the forefront of consultation on Internet speed requirements and quality Prospect “It is a transformative set of research into the next generation of beyond 2020. technologies that will radically change communications technology. The initiative will contribute to future EU policies, help our private and professional lives by “The government wants Britain to • providers build robust networks and ensure that all users DigitalEye enabling innovative applications and be the best place in Europe to innovate and businesses can take advantage of the digital economy services, such as remote healthcare, and we are committed to supporting and society. wireless robots, driverless cars and collaborations like this one to ensure 2015 November – The consultation is open to everyone – whether as  connected homes and cities.” pioneering research continues to private citizens, workers in telecommunications or service Professor Tafazolli described 5G as improve people’s lives.” providers. a ‘special generation’ of connectivity Companies including BT, , ■■ The closing date for comments and submissions is that will be crucial in connecting EE, Telefonica, Ordnance Survey, O2 7 December 2015. You can contribute via bit.ly/EU_ billions of devices in the future. and have contributed £68m to needforspeed Researchers working at the centre the centre’s funding. 4 OFCOM STRATEGIC REVIEW

STRATEGIC REVIEW: OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE What are the major challenges facing Ofcom in its desire to create the best digital communications infrastructure for the UK, asks Prospect research officerCalvin Allen Investment is the key THE ESSENTIAL problem facing Ofcom’s competition in terms of the price of services, ‘good’, and that is a view we would share. The strategic review is clear: the need to establish but that has been at the cost of both investment available evidence demonstrates that markets a ‘best in class’ communications infrastructure and quality of service. are, on the whole, working extremely well for the UK. Furthermore, we can very easily see the for consumers and citizens, and functional Prospect wants to see an infrastructure that impact on workers of enforced price reductions separation remains essentially relevant. delivers all the services that we want, wherever in terms of the demand to strip costs out of the This review has, however, generated an we want. business. intense debate about ‘structural separation’ We want to see a network capable of dealing We believe this to be an inherently – the move of Openreach into a separately with the digitalisation of the economy and we unsustainable model in the long-term and, owned business. want to see that, in turn, support the growth moreover, it is one that is damaging to Prospect is strongly against this (see of a high-tech, professional, high-skilled labour consumer interests. box). The industry is clearly at an important market in the UK. crossroads: not only have we urged Ofcom not As consumers, we want our choices to be Keep BT and Openreach together to take the wrong path; we have called on it to clear and transparent, effective and informed, Looking back 10 years to the last review, which rule out structural separation at an early stage. and to empower us in our dealings with established the ‘functional separation’ model Ofcom will be considering Prospect’s Prospect companies in the industry. Furthermore, for Openreach, we can see how far things submission in preparation for a formal we want to see services delivered with an have come. ‘emerging views’ document, due to be

• assurance of quality. Ofcom believes the outcomes of the last published at the end of 2015. Prospect will DigitalEye 10 years have been ‘broadly positive’ and monitor Ofcom’s formal statements and Price over service how the debate unfolds within industry, and We believe that investment is the key to our continue to talk to members. 2015 November –  vision becoming a reality. This issue is of fundamental Have your say by contacting the union. If Prospect has been critical of Ofcom in the you want us to come and talk to your branch past on this issue. Price controls via regulation significance to the interests about the review, let us know. This issue is of have resulted in a bargain basement service at of all our members and we fundamental significance to the interests of all bargain basement prices. our members and we urge you to get involved. UK consumers have benefited from fierce urge you to get involved OFCOM STRATEGIC REVIEW 5

STRATEGIC REVIEW: OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE THE REVIEW OFCOM’S Strategic Review of Digital Communications seeks to assess whether digital communications markets are working well for consumers and to consider the future policy challenges. The first stage has just been completed. You can read Prospect’s submission in full at: https://library.prospect.org.uk// download/2015/01246; we urge you to do so and also to let us have your views on this important issue. ■■ You can get in touch with me directly: STRUCTURAL SEPARATION CONVERGENCE SEPARATION would be complex and time-consuming; DEVICES, particularly smartphones [email protected] it would give rise to endless legal and operational and tablets, have become paramount challenges; and it would seriously damage the key and the major issue is the need for objective of investing in a genuine UK-wide, ultra-fast seamless transition from mobile to QUALITY OF telecommunications network. fixed networks. BT has been, and is, building that network. None of Voice is just another app. In SERVICE its competitors is ever going to seek to build a UK-wide the future, it is highly likely that QUALITY of service is a legitimate network and a structurally separate Openreach would customers will expect voice to be concern. The industry as a whole does not simply be unable to keep up BT’s level of investment. ‘free’ too. have a strong QoS record, and BT comes in Separation would create serious uncertainties for BT’s The convergence of fixed for particular criticism. employees. This could damage the morale particularly and mobile, data and voice, and Prospect This is slightly unfair: QoS is on an of the over 30,000 employees who work for Openreach, entertainment will result in further upward trend. Since Ofcom introduced 60 in the process jeopardising improvements to quality mergers within the industry, and as measures of Openreach’s performance, of service. entertainment channels and telecoms • Openreach has hit every single one. BT can justify massive R&D expenditure and take companies increasingly become DigitalEye Nevertheless, there remains room for a genuinely holistic view. A separate Openreach could synonymous with one another. improvement. BT has recently adopted not do that and the rest of BT could hardly justify 2015 November – a significant new consumer charter broad-based research. Structural separation would do  and this should to result in significantly substantial harm to technological development across improved QoS. It certainly needs to be the industry. given a chance to work and, should it do Separation may not be legal or feasible under so, the case for separation is seriously EU regulatory rules, which Ofcom ought to consider undermined. very carefully. 6 SPECTRUM A closer look at the full spectrum OFCOM RECENTLY issued a brief statement on of Defence public sector spectrum in the 2.3GHz a spectrum trade involving Vodafone, 3 and a US and 3.4GHz bands in 2016. So, the graphic shows the company called Qualcomm. position now – but this is not permanent. The trade itself isn’t particularly interesting – it Applications and deposits for the auction are due refers to spectrum in the 1.4GHz band (so-called in December, with bidding due to start shortly after ‘L’-Band) which Qualcomm bought back in 2008 but further deposits in January. has never used. The spectrum has just been licensed But the auction will take place on an uncertain within the EU as an additional downlink channel. basis. Neither the BT/EE or the O2/3 mergers will be Ofcom’s statement also summarised all four confirmed by then – although the first has become existing mobile network operators’ levels of spectrum much clearer. ownership as they will be after the trade ie EE, This seems likely to inflate the value of the Vodafone, O2 and 3. spectrum to both O2 and 3, as separate companies, The graphic below shows both the combined level than it would hold were they to be combined. of spectrum owned subsequent to an agreement to combine O2 and 3, and those of both companies European Commission attitude to mergers separately. Furthermore, the European Commission seems to Vodafone and a combined O2/3 would have a be taking a much harder line on mergers within the similar total amount of spectrum and would be a more mobile industry than in previous years. powerful competitor to EE as a single operator than as Operators in Denmark walked away from a merger two separate ones. proposal on the grounds that the Commission’s O2 and 3 would be much better placed to offer requirements were too onerous. wholesale capacity deals in a seamlessly converged The Commission wanted the operators to concede fixed/mobile network world. The proposed sufficient spectrum to allow a new, fully-fledged On their own, O2 and 3 would have enough merger between operator to launch. spectrum for their own customers – but little more In the UK, if spectrum divestments to a new than that, and this would weaken their role in a mobile operators operator were a condition of approval for a combined marketplace of fewer, but bigger, players. O2 and 3 raises O2/3, that operation would have no more spectrum There is an appearance of equity in spectrum than the other two mobile networks (and less than ownership subsequent to the trade and an agreement interesting questions one of them). This would be a tough pill for o2 and 3 to to allow O2 and 3 to combine. about the share of swallow. spectrum ownership, Irt might also raise questions about how much the Spectrum auction authorities understand the marketplace being created More spectrum can be bought, of course. Ofcom writes Calvin Allen by convergence. recently announced plans to auction former Ministry

UK spectrum ownership, October 2015 NB mobile network operators only. Data excludes BT’s 200 2.6GHz and UK Broadband’s 3.4GHz spectrums.

150 Prospect

100 • DigitalEye

50 2015 November –  0 EE Vodafone 02/3 O2 3 INTERNET 7

No escape from the ’Net IN HIS seminal 1999 book Business @ compensated for the decline in Smart screens The Speed Of Thought, Bill Gates wrote: personal mail. Then the decline started Finally, let’s consider TV viewing. “Here on the edge of the twenty-first and went on and on. Most British homes now have smart century, a fundamental new rule of UK letter mail volumes declined TVs, computers and tablets plus a business is that the internet changes from 20.1 bn in 2005/6 to 12.7 bn in broadband connection. But this does everything.” 2013/14 – a staggering fall of 37%. not mean that all, or even most, Was he right? Or was this Letter volumes are expected to viewing is now over the internet. hyperbole? Over the last decade and a continue to decline over the next There have been repeated claims half, we have seen a recurring pattern: decade but at a slower rate, according that we are seeing “the death of Sooner or ●● the internet is forecast to transform to a recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers television”, but something like 70% of later, the Net a traditional sector study. So the letter will survive. television viewing in the UK is still live ●● the changes are marginal and (linear) and the decline in live viewing will change traditional operators ridicule the Add to basket is slow. everything, forecast Now consider e-commerce. After a A recent report by Enders Research ● says our ● the change kicks in later, but faster, hesitant start, online sales in the UK suggests that live viewing will than anticipated have grown spectacularly. Per head of continue to dominate for at least the regular ●● the old way of doing things offline population, e-commerce is bigger in next 20 years. columnist is not totally eclipsed by the new the UK than in any other EU country. But will this really be the case? online paradigm, but learns to respond According to the Centre for Retail Ofcom’s Communications Market Roger and coexist with the new order. Research, online sales in Britain Report shows that in the 16-24 age Darlington Let’s look at three sectors to account for around 11% of total retail category, only 50% of viewing time is illustrate these themes: one sector sales. The biggest players are Amazon devoted to traditional television where the changes have already been (16% market share), followed by Tesco Video on demand services, such dramatic; another where the changes (9%) and eBay (8%). Growth remains as Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant, are still in progress; and a third where very strong at around 16% a year. are increasingly popular in this the changes are not yet too significant. But traditional retailers are learning age bracket. to embrace e-commerce with a ‘clicks Will older viewers follow the same Prospect Snail mail and mortar’ approach. trend or will younger viewers switch For 24 years, I was a national trade For instance, John Lewis now makes to linear TV as they grow older? We

union official for the Post Office 36% of its sales online, but just over don’t know, but we need to watch this • DigitalEye Engineering Union, then the National half of these involve ‘click and collect’ space. Communications Union and finally the so stores still very much matter. The Internet is having an impact in Communication Workers Union. all sectors – from financial services to 2015 November – Just before I retired 13 years ago, I the travel industry and newspapers,  warned of the massive impact that the In the 16-24 age category, books and music. growth of electronic communications only 50% of viewing Sooner or later, the Net does change would have on mail volumes. everything. In the early stages of the Net, time is devoted to ■■ http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/ the growth in direct mail more than traditional television IT2015 8 ASSESSMENT CENTRES Assessment centres: how Prospect is protecting members ALTHOUGH THE business the standards and your day job Prospect will continue to consider improvement assessment centre requirements. all possible options in trying to get programme is almost over in BT, the ●● You need to have a development your concerns addressed and will do project and programme management plan put in place to address those so only after careful consideration assessment centres are rolling out. gaps – make sure all of this is clearly of all the possible ramifications Prospect has major concerns about recorded and documented. Some for individuals. these – driven by feedback from our people have done a red/amber/green We will keep members updated members – and has been pressing BT analysis by capability level and found and are providing full support to those to address them in a meaningful way. that is helpful. who have issues or may have failed the Unfortunately, we have be unable to ●● If you don’t think your role actually AC twice. make progress on this so far. matches PPM, ask HR to do a mapping The key concerns remain: The union check of the job. Do this in writing. BT Contact and recruit ●● the potential mismatch between is very resistant to remapping roles If you are a member and have failed is working the standards assessed at the AC and but if you think there is a better fit, twice, please contact our Helpdesk on the requirements of the day job and tirelessly for make sure this is on the record. 020 8971 6060. ● ● ● the consequences of a double fail at BT members ● Make sure any They can also provide help the AC. development work and if you get a DN rating We are already hearing reports going support you will that you think may of the impact on individuals, teams through the need is planned, be related to the AC and the business as people feel more assessment accounted for in result – this needs pressured and individuals are being your workstack to be challenged. removed from their roles (with no centres and is in writing. ■■ Please also history of under performance in the process, BT has said this is a look at our web day job). requirement to stay pages (bit.ly/ Inevitably the operational impact writes in your role, so you PPM_capability) for will be felt – as work is not done and assistant should be given time guidance, campaign pushed onto people already under secretary to do this preparation as materials, FAQs and an pressure – including people who part of your day job. online forum for members to may not actually work in project and Aveen ●● Discuss the programme among share experiences/insights. programme management. McHugh your team and ensure that team ■■ If you have colleagues who are not We will continue to press BT to concerns are reflected back up through members of the union, please encourage address these issues and change these the line. them to join (bit.ly/prospect_MRM). programmes. ●● Doing a regular stress MOT should We will provide help to members, but Meanwhile please ensure you do be BAU in BT so consider taking a will not give assistance on assessment the following: Stream risk assessment test. You could Prospect centre-related issues to those who join ●● Check the generic PPM standards also discuss stress levels and mutual after their first assessment centre. against the actual requirements of support as a team.

• your day job. If there is a mismatch, DigitalEye between the two – especially if there are things in the standard that you are not required to do in your day job – 2015 November –  make this clear in writing to your line The key concerns remain the potential mismatch manager. ●● Go through the capabilities one by between the standards assessed at the assessment one and ensure you have a discussion centre and the requirements of day job and about how these apply. Record any gaps that may exist between the consequences of a double fail at the AC