The commitments
Here's a summary of some of the commitments made in the interim report that affect Internet connectivity and digital content.
Digital networks
- Make a new government-led strategy group
- Remove barriers to the development of a wider wholesale market
- Consider whether next generation broadband deployment needs public help
- Facilitate 3G expansion
Digital content
- Will examine measures needed to address the challenges for digital content in more detail
- Possibly create a ‘Rights Agency' to police digital rights issues, with funding from rights holders and distributors
A couple of the action points deserve re-publishing in full, as they will potentially have the biggest effect. The first sets out what appear to be not especially ambitious plans for universal digital connectivity:
We will develop plans for a digital Universal Service Commitment to be effective by 2012, delivered by a mixture of fixed and mobile, wired and wireless means. Subject to further study of the costs and benefits, we will set out our plans for the level of service which we believe should be universal. We anticipate this consideration will include options up to 2Mb/s.
The second is a significant clarification to the government's plans to deal with illegal file sharing.
Our response to the consultation on peer-to-peer file sharing sets out our intention to legislate, requiring ISPs to notify alleged infringers of rights (subject to reasonable levels of proof from rights-holders) that their conduct is unlawful. We also intend to require ISPs to collect anonymised information on serious repeat infringers (derived from their notification activities), to be made available to rights-holders together with personal details on receipt of a court order. We intend to consult on this approach shortly, setting out our proposals in detail.
So the government seems to be saying that its heart's in the right place, but it's still got a way to go before it delivers. Predictably it thinks it will need to have more consultations, produce more reports and create more government agencies before much can actually get done.
On the topic of file sharing, while ISPs won't be forced to disconnect file sharers, it looks like they will be required to tell them off and ultimately to assist rights holders in prosecuting them. It's not obvious how they can deliver "anonymised" information together with "personal details", but we're sure all will become clear...eventually.
