
The North East Combined Authority: a universal, minimum digital living standard
Sevice Area:
digital access
Sevice Area:
digital access
Background
Internet access is widely considered to be a functional necessity these days, although many are excluded across the UK. In the North East, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the three key barriers to digital access to light, as workers and students were required to go remote. Firstly, connectivity, underpinned by the physical infrastructure and network layer; secondly, affordability; and finally, the skill and confidence required to operate IT devices.
A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research in 2021 suggests that the North East experiences higher levels of digital exclusion than other parts of England. In the North East Combined Authority (NECA), particularly in rural areas, there are poorly connected locations without 4G/5G infrastructure, labelled ‘not-spots’. In terms of Wi-Fi connectivity, around 9,000 homes are unable to connect to a (slow speed) 10 Mbps broadband service and around 27,000 can barely reach 30 Mbps (average speed).
Local Action
The NECA is working to overturn the UK’s digital divide and achieve a ‘minimum digital living standard’ (MDLS) for all in the North East. Several initiatives have been employed in the region to address the three aspects of digital inclusion.
Covid-19 emergency response inclusion pilot
With the closure of several sectors of the economy in March 2020, as lockdown began, those without internet access at home were abruptly unable to use everyday services, like schools or job-seeking support. In response, the combined authority designed a scheme to help get people online at home, rolling out 2,750 devices to residents. Accompanying mobile internet packages, including dongles, were also provided where necessary. Nearly half went to school children; 39% to adult education; and 12% to job seekers. In each council, the delivery of the devices in conjunction with partner organisations differed, reflecting the range of localised services and needs.
Next steps and pilot plan
Since then, increasing internet access has become an important focus. While the emergency response pilot was effective, the NECA is now working on rolling out a long-term approach based on recommendations from the initial pilot’s evaluation. Crucially, a consultation process led it to identify a MDLS and to give this priority. Drawing on input from key stakeholders (constituents and local organisations) and research findings, the NECA came to define the minimum standard as having not only accessible and affordable internet, adequate equipment and the necessary skills and knowledge but also the capacity to communicate, connect and engage in opportunities confidently and safely online.
A cluster group has been mobilised under the LA7 Digital Steering Group to consider the development and delivery of a MDLS for the North East. The Group recognises that before the region can offer a MDLS to residents, it needs to look inwardly and acknowledge that digital inclusion does not fit into one service area or directorate. It is initially considering how in-house standards and services across authorities promote digital inclusion, accounting for the region’s unique demographics and geography. Each authority is at a different starting point and stage of development, providing opportunities for learning and information sharing so effective projects can be expanded and deployed across the region. Through supporting and enhancing existing structures, the NECA aims to improve coordination and awareness of digital inclusion interventions and campaigns, while working to ensure key metrics are captured and evidenced to monitor impact.
Connectivity infrastructure and provision
Alongside collaborating with local partners on the ground to support communities with devices and training, other projects are centred on ensuring strong connectivity across the region. The 5G and Future Connectivity Partnership aimed to level up connectedness and extend the reach of 4G/5G networks, particularly in ‘not-spots’, by improving the way local authorities cooperate with the big four mobile network operators. With funding from central government’s Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator, the NECA now provides information to mobile network operators about available local authority owned assets, including buildings and streetlights, which can be used to install access point antennae and increase coverage. In this way, 5G signal boosters placed on lamp posts, council offices and libraries, for instance, improve connectivity for residents. The combined authority has worked in tandem with communities, businesses and the network operators to determine locations that require enhanced mobile capacity.
To extend the reach of full fibre broadband and gigabit-capable connectivity, the combined authority is helping infrastructure providers who have commercial rollout plans to target areas of need, where possible linking them with government-backed intervention schemes (such as Westminster’s Project Gigabit) to fill gaps. Full gigabit capable connectivity is the NECA’s target for 2027, ahead of the national ambition of 2030. In locations where it is impossible to introduce fibre (for example, 300 homes in the region are not on the National Grid), other modes of mobile connectivity are being considered, such as fixed wireless access, or low earth orbit satellite solutions.
The planned activity under the MDLS also focuses on the large value contracts granted by the local authorities in the region, to consider where social value can be achieved by filling gaps in existing services. This would involve coordinating the supply of contracts awarded for mobile and broadband coverage, as well as any other large value contracts deemed relevant, to ensure that the service providers adhere to commitments to deliver social value. To receive contracts and/or public funds, providers must conform with shared public interest obligations, to promote socially and ecologically desirable outcomes.
Impact on local residents
Following the initial Covid-19 response pilot, 79% of beneficiaries said they would not have had access to the internet otherwise. An external evaluation found 100% satisfaction among partners involved in the delivery. The pilot was considered a success in terms not only of getting residents online and meeting their needs, but also of cost-effectiveness and positively building and leaning on existing cross-sector partnerships.
Evaluation will be critical to gauge the efficacy of these projects. Efforts to address the different barriers to digital access should help more people in the region to get online with confidence. Designing policies to steer independent and private providers in the region towards underserviced areas is a promising approach.
Environmental Impact
By increasing the availability of online services and the capacity to work remotely, digital access reduces the need to travel and commute. It is therefore likely to reduce energy consumption and contribute to decarbonisation. Working towards the MDLS is likely to support a just transition.
Future application of the Future Connectivity Partnership project may have further positive environmental impacts by facilitating the rollout of electric vehicle charging points. As a part of the green transition, demand for EV charging will rise significantly in the near future, and charging points rely on connectivity, ideally 5G. This is currently in the planning stage.
What's next?
The NECA’s approach rightly addresses the different dimensions of digital inclusion. The combined strategies are intended to cater for a mixed economy of providers, which already operate in this service area, and to comply with the principle of subsidiarity. For the future, the NECA will need to monitor and, where necessary, adapt its rollout of the MDLS accordingly.