London First, like many organisations, has had to impose a moratorium on physically meeting people over the next three months, which could, of course, end up being extended if COVID-19 continues to present a threat to public health across the UK.
The transition to working remotely and digitally has been rapid as we all adapt to a new world of conference calls, Zoom and Teams. None are quite as good as bouncing ideas round the office, having a coffee with a contact or meeting to discuss new ideas. But they will have to do for now and do offer new ways of staying in touch with each other and our members. More widely, colleagues have been trialling a whole range of digital platforms such as webinars and virtual roundtables that will be used to engage our members – and we will shortly be circulating our revised events programme for the next three months.
The COVID-19 crisis has also highlighted just how vital digital infrastructure is for the health of our economy. For now, the UK seems to be coping with the additional demands being placed on digital infrastructure. However, while the current broadband network is sufficient for current needs, there is no guarantee that it would be so in the future. Most of the UK still relies on fibre to the cabinet with the remaining connection to premises made up of copper, but it is widely accepted that the only way of future-proofing our digital infrastructure system is to roll out widespread Gigabit-capable infrastructure. This requires a speedy rollout of full fibre or 5G with full fibre backhaul, both to shore up the economy’s competitiveness in good times and cushion the economy during crisis periods.
The UK lags behind on full fibre coverage: only 11% of the UK is currently wired up to fibre to the premises, with London’s equivalent figure being only slightly higher. This compares very unfavourably to many international counterparts. Some Asian cities already have 100% coverage. But there has been some steady progress in rollout of digital infrastructure in London, with full fibre coverage up by three percentage points in the last six months.
Disruption caused by the COVID-19 crisis will probably lead to this rollout slowing in the short term. The Coronavirus is impacting supply chains across all sectors of the British economy. However, we need to ensure that the regulatory environment is conducive to rapid rollout of digital infrastructure after we emerge from the crisis – and London First will continue to work with various partners to help bring this about.
To assist in promoting better digital services across London, last year London First published its report Enhancing Digital Connectivity in London, outlining the role of operators and local authorities in promoting full fibre and 5G coverage across the capital. And we are now working with London Councils to create a Gigabit Connectivity Network for London this year, which will be an important forum for operators and local government (including the new personnel representing London’s sub-regions) to collaborate and promote solutions to some of the remaining issues in promoting digital connectivity. We also look forward to working with our private sector partners to help advocate the economic and social benefits that could arise from full fibre and 5G.
