Issue - meetings

Gigabit fibre is critical digital infrastructure, providing the connectivity backbone for many vital public, private and voluntary services and helping to power our businesses and local economy as well as supporting our Smart Place Programme. The provision of ubiquitous, high speed, affordable Gigabit connectivity is therefore now a priority for the Council. The Council’s Big Plan states:

‘We will invest in the physical and digital infrastructure of our coastal city region, to ensure that BCP has the best connectivity in the country’.

As well as many residents not having access to affordable broadband, leading to a ‘digital divide’, poor connectivity also has a significant impact upon local economic productivity, costing an estimated £150m per annum. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the Council to accelerate the deployment of affordable Gigabit fibre to almost every home and business across the whole BCP area.

Following a recent open ‘Request for Information’ (RFI) exercise and the responses received from the telecommunications industry, it has been concluded that procuring a ‘Neutral Host Operator’ (NHO), to work together with the Council, represents the best prospect of delivering the digital connectivity that the area needs.

In view of the above the following recommendation is made:

RESOLVED that approval is given for the Smart Place Team, supported by Law and Governance and Strategic Procurement, to procure a Gigabit Fibre Neutral Host Operator.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Development, Growth and Regeneration

Reasons

1.    Helps to deliver significant economic and social benefits to the area.

2.    Helps to meet the Big Plan objective of BCP having the best connectivity in the country.

3.    Supports the Council’s regeneration and place-shaping ambitions.

4.    Supports the Council’s Smart Place programme.

5.    Supports the government’s ‘Levelling Up’ missions particularly by helping to address the local ‘digital divide’ through more widely available and affordable broadband services.

6.    Encourages wider private sector investment into Gigabit fibre infrastructure and creates more competition in the Internet Server Provider (ISP) market.

7.    Is the most cost-effective solution for delivering the Council’s Gigabit connectivity objectives whist minimising the Council’s financial commitment and commercial risks.

8.    Opens up the opportunity for income generation for existing ducting and fibre asset owners including the Council.

The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was informed that Gigabit fibre is critical digital infrastructure, providing the connectivity backbone for many vital public, private and voluntary services and helping to power our businesses and local economy as well as supporting our Smart Place Programme, and that the provision of ubiquitous, high speed, affordable Gigabit connectivity is therefore now a priority for the Council.

Further to this Cabinet was advised that the Council’s Big Plan states:

‘We will invest in the physical and digital infrastructure of our coastal city region, to ensure that BCP has the best connectivity in the country’

Cabinet was advised that as well as many residents not having access to affordable broadband, leading to a ‘digital divide’, poor connectivity also has a significant impact upon local economic productivity, costing an estimated £150m per annum, and that there is an urgent need therefore for the Council to accelerate the deployment of affordable Gigabit fibre to almost every home and business across the whole BCP area.

Cabinet was informed that following a recent open ‘Request for Information’ (RFI) exercise and the responses received from the telecommunications industry, it has been concluded that procuring a ‘Neutral Host Operator’ (NHO), to work together with the Council, represents the best prospect of delivering the digital connectivity that the area needs.

In addition, Cabinet was advised that prior to the award of the NHO contract a further report will be brought back to Cabinet requesting authorisation to proceed to contract.

Councillor Hadley addressed Cabinet questioning the raw benefit of the Council getting involved in this.

The Lead Member for Levelling Up and Skills advised that there are real levelling up implications, and that this would help tackle digital inequality.

RESOLVED that approval is given for the Smart Place Team, supported by Law and Governance and Strategic Procurement, to procure a Gigabit Fibre Neutral Host Operator.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning