Costs and benefits of superfast broadband in the UK

This paper was commissioned from LSE Enterprise by Convergys Smart Revenue Solutions to stimulate an open and constructive debate among the main stakeholders about the balance between the costs, the revenues, and the societal benefits of ‘superfast’ broadband. The intent has been to analyse the available facts and to propose wider perspectives on economic and social interactions. The paper has two parts: one concentrates on superfast broadband deployment and the associated economic and social implications (for the UK and its service providers), and the other considers alternative social science approaches to these implications. Both parts consider the potential contribution of smart solutions to superfast broadband provision and use. Whereas Part I takes the “national perspective” and the “service provider perspective”, which deal with the implications of superfast broadband for the UK and for service providers, Part II views matters in other ways, particularly by looking at how to realise values beyond the market economy, such as those inherent in neighbourliness, trust and democrac

Nuisance Calls Update Part 1: The Positive Developments, but is there Real Change?

Claire MilneIn July 2013, we published a policy brief on nuisance calls by Claire Milne, who has been involved with developments on combating nuisance calls and texts since early 2012. In this two part series of posts she looks at what has happened since the brief was published, expressing some scepticism as to the effectiveness of recent actions and renewing her call for leadership on this issue

An end to nuisance calls? Not yet.

LSE Senior Visiting Fellow Claire Milne expresses skepticism about the recent news proclaiming an end to nuisance calls

Response to Mobile Censorship Report: Mobile & Fixed Internet are Different

Claire Milne, Visiting Senior Fellow in the LSE’s Department of Media and Communications, responds to the Mobile Internet Censorship Report and points out that key differences between mobile and fixed internet have policy implications

BT and Broadband: Ofcom’s Strategic Review of Digital Communications

Ofcom’s consultation on their Digital Communications Review closes on 8 October. It will shape the development of digital infrastructure for the next decade and beyond, and have a massive impact on the private companies that provide it. Ofcom could recommend a major shift in the competition framework that has made the UK a leading e-commerce market with low prices, or could even recommend the breaking up of BT. On 7 October, Ofcom’s CEO Sharon White will give a major public lecture at LSE. Claire Milne, visiting fellow in the LSE Department of Media and Communications, argues here that White and Ofcom not only have to find more radical solutions to BT dominance of the broadband market via Openreach, but they need to support consumer literacy and competence in order to make markets deliver for UK consumers

Limited Action to Combat Nuisance Calls in the UK

LSE Visiting Senior Fellow Claire Milne responds to the Action Plan recently released by DCMS for combatting nuisance calls in the UK. Updating previous posts on this blog, she draws on recent data from the co-operation between Ofcom and the ICO on this issue to highlight progress made and problems remaining

How safe should digital products be, and who should ensure this?

Much of the conversation around the Internet of Things focuses on data protection issues. Here, however, Claire Milne, Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE’s Department of Media and Communications, focuses on questions of safety and liability around ‘smart’ devices

Internet of Things, consumers and the public interest

What is the ‘Internet of Things’ and what are some of the challenges it poses? Claire Milne, Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE’s Department of Media and Communications, explores the issue, arguing that the views of citizens and consumers need to be placed at the heart of the debate

Time to stop nuisance calls in their tracks

As July is Scams Awareness Month and with financial scams defrauding complainants by over £4m, LSE’s Claire Milne argues that the cost of inaction regarding nuisance and spam calls might be greater than the cost of technical measures necessary to put an end to them

Nuisance Calls Update Part 2: The Less Positive Developments

In July 2013, we published a policy brief on nuisance calls by Claire Milne, who has been involved with developments on combating nuisance calls and texts since early 2012. In the second of this two part series of posts she describes what she views as negative developments since the brief was published