Resources for the Comms Policy Matrix

This page is not meant to be read as a separate page, but as a supplement to the matrix itself. This is where you will find extra material, or items too large or technical to be part of the matrix itself. Some of the resources are links to where original documents can be found, others are HTML, and others are downloadable PDFs.

Digital Britain Interim Report

The Digital Britain Interim Report was released January 2009 by the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform and the Department for culture, media and sport. Proposals contained in the report are based on the following objectives:

•    Upgrading and modernising digital networks – wire, wireless and broadcast to ensure that Britain has an infrastructure that enables it to remain globally competitive in the digital world;
•    A dynamic investment climate for UK digital content, applications and services, that makes the UK and attractive place for both domestic and inward investment in our digital economy;
•    UK content for UK users: content of quality and scale that serves the interests, experiences and needs of all UK citizens; in particular impartial news, comment and analysis;
•    Fairness and access for all; universal availability coupled with the skills and digital literacy to enable near-universal participation in the digital economy and digital society; and
•    Developing and infrastructure, skills and take-up to enable the widespread online delivery of public services and business interface with Government.

The report proposes specific actions in a number of areas including next generation networks, digital television networks, digital radio networks, the creation of a second public service provider of scale,, rights and distribution, original UK content, universal connectivity, and digital media literacy.

The report is available at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/5631.aspx

ABC and SBS Charters

Click here for text relating to proposal by ASTRA

Connectivity and Access: legislative and policy outline

Click here for text relating to proposal by Peter Gerrand, June 2008

ASTRA submission to discussion paper: ABC and SBS Towards a digital future

This link is to the downloadable PDF of the ASTRA submission to the 2008 DBCDE discussion paper called ABC and SBS: Towards a digital future. It is included here because it is referred to in ASTRA proposals in the policy matrix.

WTO Telecommunications Basic Services Agreement

The current best practice is to determine interconnection charges based on the cost-based interconnection charging set out in Section 2.2 of the Reference Paper attached to the WTO Telecommunications Basic Services Agreement. See below:

2.2 Interconnection to be ensured
Interconnection with a major supplier will be ensured at any technically feasible point in the network. Such interconnection is provided.

(a)     under non-discriminatory terms, conditions (including technical standards and specifications) and rates and of a quality no less favourable than that provided for its own like services or for like services of non-affiliated service suppliers or for its subsidiaries or other affiliates;

(b)     in a timely fashion, on terms, conditions (including technical standards and specifications) and cost-oriented rates that are transparent, reasonable, having regard to economic feasibility, and sufficiently unbundled so that the supplier need not pay for network components or facilities that it does not require for the service to be provided; and

(c)     upon request, at points in addition to the network termination points offered to the majority of users, subject to charges that reflect the cost of construction of necessary additional facilities.

For further information about the WTO Telecommunications Basic Services Agreement see: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/serv_e/telecom_e/tel23_e.htm

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