The Digital Britain Campaign

North West Update 26th March 2010

To keep the North West branches up to speed with the CWU Campaign, the following report covers the latest developments.

North West regional committee officers met with the Minister for the North West, Phil Woolas MP, at the regional office of Carl Webb. The Minister attended the CWU meeting so that our branches could position the CWU campaign, and place the campaign’s relevant points within the grasp of the Minister. This gave the CWU North West team the valuable input surrounding the Digital Britain campaign to a Minister who has direct access to the next Labour Party Manifesto.

The meeting covered the Digital Economy and the possible rules or regulations that would govern a Next Generation Access Development fund, both on a national and regional basis.

The meeting covered the CWU concerns that there should be the emphasis that we are now getting into the business of generating a new industry based universal and community service. The report below was written by Ian Tomlinson

The North West economy

The economy of the North West is so integrated in terms of the variety of manufacturing, regenerated manufacturing and future service provisions, that the Minister was very keen indeed to hear that the CWU campaign would develop all the necessary tools that the North West economy needs to interact with Regional, Central and European Government bodies.

Phil Woolas MP agreed, that it was unique, where the commitment of universal digital network provision to the North West industry, business and local communities can and had been brought together under the one campaign.

North West Local Authorities

The Minister did realise the key questions which all MPs from the North West would ask; what will be the key benefits for Local Authorities throughout the North West.

By far the best way to answer this question was to focus on the universal ability of digital access to e-services and e-government networks for all the differing communities who are prevalent in all Local Authorities.

The CWU was able to press and impress upon the Minister that the uplift to services distributed from Local Authorities by the rollout of services, from varying government departments would all be, quite literally, at the fingertips of all the social groups that make up the North West.

Universal Service or reliance on the Market?

By far, this was the most difficult area of discussion that the CWU team had to bridge.

The CWU team did, through close working and extensive talks, offer the true picture of what the basic (copper and fibre) network properties followed the 2Mbit network, and the Next Generation services network.

The Digital Participation Plan that is part of the precursor to the Digital Economy Bill only referred to the lower end of broadband speeds. It was when the CWU campaign; that of universal very high speed integrated network access for all of our North West communities, was explained in full to the Minister, did the collaboration of all those present agree that the way forward was for access to the Next Generation of 21st Century services be made available to all on the basis of demand, and not on the basis of the ability to pay.

The Evolving Strategy and Next Steps

Phil Woolas MP gave Carl Webb the details of the relevant development bodies that held an interest and ability to develop this next generation of services for the North West.

It cannot be stressed any more, that this was the CWU working in close harmony and in partnership with the North West Minister to develop the Digital Britain campaign for the whole of the North West.

The meeting served to highlight where the political and digital divide exists. The CWU, North West TUC and the Labour Party in the North West are committed to delivering the new service from concept to design; from installation to reality and from a market driven concept to that of a universal provision obligation for the Telecommunications industry.

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