Page 30 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

BT Partners with Government’s Shared Rural

Network Program

Joint investment in rural coverage is imperative, but prior areas. We think it’s fair and reasonable that this investment and
investments must be respected – and future investment protected. the current value of the site are both taken into account, and need
We’re delighted to be part of the Government’s Shared Rural to be recognized when others come to ‘share’ it. Of course, this
Network program, and it’s great to see the progress being made goes both ways and should ensure that the fair approach to rural
to plug the coverage gaps across the UK. The first part of SRN coverage that the SRN was designed to introduce is maintained.
is focused on filling in the so-called ‘partial not spots’ – places Finding an analogy here is tricky because this is complex, but I
where customers of some but not all operators have 4G coverage. sometimes think of it like Sainsbury’s building a new superstore
Delivering great 4G coverage wherever our customers live, work in a rural area and being made to give away shelf space to
and travel has been our key driver when investing in building Tesco, Lidl and Asda. The new Government aims to complete
our UK-leading mobile network since we launched 4G in 2012. the Shared Rural Network deal within its first 100 days. This is
But UK consumers should not have to experience ‘no service’ pacy, but we now feel all enablers are there. The £1bn program,
when they’re in an area where mobile sites have been built. This to be funded broadly 50:50 by industry and government, will be
is the basis of the SRN, and participation of all providers is both of huge importance to people across rural parts of the UK – not
progressive and vital. Sharing sites should be straightforward, only in filling partial not spots, as we’ve discussed here, but also
deliver a huge benefit to rural locations and, crucially, minimize working together to build brand new sites that cover total not
the need to add more towers and masts. Over the past seven-and- spots. We now want to finalize the program as quickly as possible
a-bit years, EE has invested in getting 4G coverage to significantly and get on with the important part: improving connectivity
more places than any other network, driven by our belief that our for people across the UK, and helping close the digital divide.
customers should be able to connect wherever they go. This has
meant we’ve built more sites than any other operator. And, as
Ofcom’s recent Connected Nations report demonstrates, there’s
many places where we’re the only provider of 4G coverage. We
expect many of these sites to form the basis of the share program,
helping the other providers to fill holes in their networks to keep
people connected. This week, we’ve submitted an important
document into the final part of the process – the cost proposal for
sharing sites. This document clearly outlines the reciprocal costs
we feel should be paid to get access to one another’s sites. It’s
based upon the inherent value of these mobile sites today, and
the investment made to get that site up, built and working – as
well as the time and effort to get planning permission and reach
agreement with the landowners – to create the mobile coverage
these areas so desperately need. All of which is harder to do, and
more expensive, because of the challenges of building in rural

Cisco Releases the 2019 Digital Readiness Index

Measuring the Digital Readiness of 141 Countries

Cisco announced the release of its 2019 outlines possible opportunities to advance It opens markets, creates jobs, and better
Global Digital Readiness Index, research readiness. “Technology has the potential connects citizens and customers. Our
measuring the digital readiness of 141 to be the single greatest catalyst for hope is that through Cisco’s Global Digital
countries across seven components. economic and social progress,” said Tae Readiness Index, we can partner with
This research helps us to uncover key Yoo, senior vice president of Corporate private and public sectors to evaluate how
insights and build our understanding Affairs at Cisco. “In every corner of the investments in the basic underpinnings
of what it means for a country to be world, digital technology is helping us of a digital society can serve to raise the
digitally ready and the positive impact become more connected to each other quality of life for all citizens around the
the digital economy can provide. It also and the organizations upon which we rely. world.”

30 JANUARY 2020