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Connecting Communities the Impact of Broadband on Communities in the UK and Its Implications for Australia

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Connecting Communities the Impact of Broadband on Communities in the UK and Its Implications for Australia Connecting Communities The impact of broadband on communities in the UK and its implications for Australia A White Paper by Dr Tim Williams February 2011 Connecting Communities A WORD FROM HUAWEI AUSTRALIA There has been no lack of debate regarding broadband At Huawei, our vision is Enriching Life Through in Australia over the past five years. An area which Communications. It’s a neat fit with the findings of was once the realm of engineers and technologists, this report, independently researched and compiled by telecommunications has now come to the fore as Dr Williams. The White Paper was commissioned by an important and vital part of the nation’s fabric, a Huawei to bring a new body of evidence to Australia’s foundation for both economic and social prosperity. broadband debate, in the hope that Australia is well The broadband debate shows no signs of subsiding. prepared for a future which is increasingly tied to It has become abundantly clear that broadband has broadband. become the ‘new utility’ of the 21st century. We hope that this White Paper promotes and inspires This ground breaking White Paper by Dr Tim Williams, engagement and discourse between Australian Connecting Communities: The impact and benefits of businesses, industry groups, Government and, of broadband in the UK and the implications for Australia, course, communities themselves. offers compelling real-life evidence of the impact of broadband – on public services, democratic activity, and Jeremy Mitchell on communities themselves. Director, Government and For the past five years Huawei has been working with Public Affairs BT delivering highspeed broadband infrastructure Huawei Australia across the United Kingdom. Through our work in the UK we understand that it is one thing to build a network, and it is another to deliver a ‘networked nation’. This paper demonstrates the impact of the UK experience, offers real-world examples of the benefits of broadband, and presents ideas and suggestions to deliver a ‘networked society’. i Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2011. All rights reserved. Sydney Level 5, Tower A 799 Pacific Highway Chatswood NSW Australia 2067 T 02 9928 3888 F 02 9411 8533 Melbourne Level 24, North Tower 459 Collins Street Melbourne VIC Australia 3000 T 03 8610 0600 F 03 9621 1575 www.huawei.com.au Designed and Typeset by Ministry of Design (www.ministryofdesign.co.uk) ii CONNECTING COMMUNITIES | THE IMPACT OF BROADBAND ON COMMUNITIES IN THE UK AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AUSTRALIA Contents CONNECTING COMMUNITIES CHAPTER 5: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................2 E-DEMOCRACY: THE REVOLUTION WILL BE WEBCAST, TWEETED AND YOUTUBED .................37 PREFACE ....................................................................5 5.1 24 /7 – New style democracy .................................... 37 CHAPTER 1: 5.2 Government as a ‘Participative Platform’ ................... 37 OVERVIEW ..............................................................10 5.3 Online Campaigning – the immediate response loop 1.1 Broadband: Meet and Match .................................... 10 and a new kind of community .................................. 38 1.2 Broadband speeding into the future .......................... 13 5.4 Tweets, webcasts and the instant response loop… .... 41 1.3 Serious costs/serious benefits .................................... 15 5.5 E-petitions ................................................................ 42 1.4 The Facts – ten interesting things you didn’t know 5.6 ’We asked; you said; we did’: the Bristol consultation about broadband in the UK ...................................... 16 hub .......................................................................... 42 1.5 The Challenges in the UK .......................................... 17 CHAPTER 6: 1.6 Broadband: the political consensus .......................... 17 A HEALTHY PUBLIC INTEREST?: PUBLIC 1.7 Connecting Communities: moving from building a SERVICES .................................................................43 network to a networked society ................................ 18 6.1 Healthy, wealthy and wise ......................................... 43 CHAPTER 2: 6.2 Broadband and education: mind-expanding, mind DIGItaL REALITY IN THE UK – snAPSHOTS blowing: and that’s just the kids ............................... 44 OF VISION, PROJECTS AND PEOPLE .....................19 6.3 One nation, one network – Public services 2.1 Digital success and inclusion – a vision from integration and efficiencies ....................................... 49 Birmingham .............................................................. 19 CHAPTER 7: 2.2 From Birmingham to UK – how we include all our TOwaRDS A HIGH SPEED BANDWIDTH Communities ........................................................... 21 WITH A LOW CARBON FUTURE .............................51 2.3 From social housing to digital inclusion ..................... 23 7.1 Liftshare .................................................................... 51 2.4 Digital inclusion – a national effort ............................ 24 7.2 Carclubs ................................................................... 52 CHAPTER 3: 7.3 And if you want to know when the next bus is... ...... 52 ‘SILVER Surfers’: eMPOWERING OLDER 7.4 And if you’d prefer not to travel... ............................ 52 PEOPLE THROUGH BROADBAND ..........................26 7.5 Faster, better: public virtues of high speed. ............... 53 3.1 From vulnerable communities to ‘silver surfers’ ......... 26 3.2 The benefits of the new for the old and the AFTERWORD ON BRItaIN not-so-old ................................................................ 27 REFLECTIONS AND KEY ISSUES .............................54 3.3 Increasing older people’s role in Society ..................... 29 IMPLIcatIONS FOR AUSTRALIA ............................58 CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENdatIONS FOR AUSTRALIA ..................62 RURAL, REMOTE BUT SWITCHED ON ....................30 REFERENCES ............................................................64 4.1 Renewing Engagement with Community and public services .......................................................... 30 BIOGRAPHY ............................................................67 4.2 Broadband meets localism: rural, remote but switched on .............................................................. 31 4.3 An e -postcard from the edge: How Cornwall is overcoming the tyranny of distance .......................... 32 4.4 Another e-postcard: Cybermoor – communities doing it for themselves.............................................. 34 1 Connecting Communities EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ‘The full value of broadband includes Citizenship in the era of high outcomes around an educated citizenship, an speed broadband informed democracy, cultural understanding, 1. Connecting Communities is an independent review community and inclusion, social capital, of the impact of broadband on communities in Britain resilience and trust.’ and its implications for Australia. Commissioned UK Broadband Stakeholders’ Group [Ref. 1] by Huawei Australia and undertaken by former UK government advisor Dr Tim Williams, the report is for non-techies by a non-techie. Fast broadband and ‘Talking to a doctor on screen? Just the same its impact are too significant to be left to geeks and as being in room with them. Better, I felt I had engineers. more time with the consultant in Aberdeen 2. The report celebrates what people and than if I’d gone there.’ communities do with broadband but focuses on two key UK agendas with relevance for Australia. Telehealth patient [Ref. 2] 3. One is digital inclusion. The second is how ever-faster broadband is improving public service ’Communities and citizens that lack high outcomes and the relationship between citizens speed broadband access are at a deficit in and governments. The report shows the advantages comparison to their peers.’ and necessity in the modern world of a national broadband network with sufficient bandwidth. It is London School of Economics [Ref. 3] about citizenship for all in the digital era as it moves to highspeed broadband. ‘We need to make sure that people aren’t 4. The report identifies significant benefits of ever left behind as more and more services move faster broadband for UK communities: online.’ In health: telehealth is saving lives now in remote communities in Scotland. David Cameron, UK Prime Minister [Ref. 4] In the care of the elderly: telecare is now enabling 1.7 million to stay in their communities, lead independent and sociable lives, making huge savings – and strengthening family cohesion. In the environment: tele-conferencing and related home-working are already reducing emissions and congestion – and supporting greater community involvement. In education: results improved by two grades and hard to reach kids got switched on – especially if they 2 CONNECTING COMMUNITIES | THE IMPACT OF BROADBAND ON COMMUNITIES IN THE UK AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AUSTRALIA had access to devices at home and school. Education multiple deprivation, lacking skills or confidence to is being transformed. explore new media or living in remote locations. Older, disabled, the isolated: all report improved well being from tele-care and greater connectivity, Digital divides and future speaking to long-lost friends and family on Skype, getting involved in communities online. public services Public service efficiencies: the digitisation of 9. This digital divide raises urgent questions about X-rays is
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