Barrier Busting Taskforce: report

The National Infrastructure Commission for Wales published the Digital communications infrastructure in Wales: report in December 2020.  The report made several recommendations to support the improvement of broadband and mobile coverage and access to digital infrastructure. One of the key recommendations was that the Welsh Government establish a Barrier Busting Taskforce led by a senior official. 

The Welsh Government recognised the range of possible issues and potential barriers to the deployment of digital infrastructure and established a taskforce comprised of a cross section of telecommunications industry, government, and wider public sector representatives.

The taskforce focuses on barriers and potential or known issues in the key touch points between industry and public services, such as streetworks, access to public assets, planning, regulation, and communications.

The taskforce aims to resolve or reduce such barriers to create the right environment to deliver digital infrastructure at pace to provide mobile phone connectivity and fixed broadband to homes and businesses. The taskforce works collaboratively across the public sector, telecommunications industry, and the telecommunications regulator to:

• explore the barriers to the deployment of digital infrastructure in Wales to understand their causes and impacts
• identify ways to address those barriers
• provide advice on potential interventions to resolve or reduce those barriers
• bring knowledge and experience to help identify best practice and amplify “what good looks like”
• where possible, help to support and promote innovation and innovative solutions to support this work

This report responds to the first two aims, with the final three to be addressed as solutions are further refined and developed.

The membership consists of representatives from:

• Welsh Government
• Local Authorities
• National Park Authorities
• City and Growth Deals
• Welsh Trunk Road Agencies
• WLGA
• Openreach
• Mobile UK
• Virgin Media
• DMSL
• Cornerstone
• MBNL
• Ogi
• Voneus
• Ofcom

Five working groups were established to consider barriers and solutions to deployment, meeting regularly over the period of the taskforce:

• Regulation
• Communications
• Street works
• Public assets
• Planning

In addition to the working groups, an oversight group was established to coordinate activity across the working groups including identifying cross cutting barriers and solutions.

The taskforce board was created to oversee the overall direction of the taskforce and to collate and present the recommended actions for change. Work to develop and deliver the recommendations will continue to be coordinated by the Welsh Government’s Digital Infrastructure Division in cooperation and collaboration with the relevant teams and organisations covered by the scope of each recommendation.

Set out below are the barriers and solutions identified by the oversight group and associated working groups along with action to reduce or remove these barriers. A full list of the actions can be found at annex a.

Barriers

The oversight group identified two key cross cutting issues. The first was that of resources, particularly to support specific processes or services within local authorities, and the second was around communications within public bodies.

Solutions

Resources were recognised by the taskforce as a key issue impacting on the ability of the telecommunications industry delivering digital infrastructure at pace.  There was concern over the ability of local public bodies to process streetworks notices and planning applications. There was anecdotal evidence that the number of streetworks notices received by local authorities connected to digital infrastructure was already having an impact on resources. In addition, industry highlighted a lack of resources in civil engineering with many in the industry struggling with recruitment of people with the requisite skills.

It was agreed by the oversight group that the question of resources was beyond the scope of the taskforce and that while the taskforce might legitimately identify resourcing as a concern, the focus of the taskforce is very much around making the system as it currently exists work as efficiently as possible.

On communications, the group identified a need for clarity of the importance of digital infrastructure at all levels of public organisations and an understanding at all levels on how the actions of individual officers/employees contribute towards the digital agenda.  The group identified the need for digital champions in Local Authorities to drive up understanding of the benefits of digital connectivity within public bodies as a priority.

Action

Establish digital champions within public sector to drive up understanding of the benefits of digital connectivity within public bodies.

Barriers

The communications working group focussed on the variable level of knowledge amongst residents and businesses about broadband and mobile connectivity and the impact that this variability of understanding may have on take-up of services. The group was concerned that residents and businesses may not fully appreciate what connectivity might already be available to them and might lack confidence around the relative merits of the technical solutions or market offers that they encounter.

Similarly, the group identified that residents and businesses do not necessarily recognise the benefits of digital connectivity, which may contribute to low take-up of services. This may also drive suspicion and opposition to the deployment of digital infrastructure, particularly the deployment of mobile masts. In addition, residents and businesses are unfamiliar with the complex process of deploying digital connectivity infrastructure, for example, the need for road closures, which inevitably causes inconvenience and fuels local opposition to the deployment new or improved infrastructure, increasing cost and reducing the pace of delivery.

Concern was also expressed about the unwillingness of some landlords of multiple dwelling units to engage with telecommunications providers leading to delays in deployment or for residents of such units to miss out on enhanced connectivity altogether.

Solutions

The group identified several solutions. They agreed that research be undertaken into the understanding of residents and businesses about the digital connectivity around them:

• to identify the level of understanding of options available to get faster broadband amongst those unable to access fibre.
• to assess residential and business awareness of the information channels and organisations that can give further support and advice; and
• to identify the level of understanding about how mobile and broadband infrastructure is deployed.

The research would then inform a communications campaign to inform residents and businesses about the benefits of digital connectivity and inform communities about deployment activity. As part of work to support and deliver the campaign, community digital champions (potentially in local authorities) could help support communities to understand the technological solutions available to them.

Communication activity should be undertaken with property owners of multiple dwelling units, potentially through trade bodies or other representative groups, to explain the benefits of connectivity both to their tenants and to them as landlords, and to explain the deployment process.

Action

Carry out research into the understanding of residents and businesses on the digital connectivity that is available to them.

• Undertake a communications campaign:
• To improve the knowledge of residents and businesses about the connectivity options available to them.
• Outline the benefits of digital connectivity to residents and businesses.
• To inform communities about what deployment work involves.
• To communicate with landlords of multiple dwelling units.
• Signpost residents and businesses to existing campaigns such as the #5GCheckTheFacts
• Create a network of community digital champions learning from work already underway in the Swansea Bay City Region.

Barriers

The public assets working group found that the identification of publicly owned land by mobile and broadband network providers could be challenging.

The group also highlighted a lack of standardised documentation across public bodies for securing access to public assets. Similarly, a lack of a common approach to payments, in terms of consistency of valuation guidance and documentation, was identified as a barrier.

Communications between the industry and estate management professionals was acknowledged as in need of improvement leading to misunderstandings impeding the deployment of digital infrastructure.

A common theme across other working groups, and as highlighted above, the socio economic and other benefits of good digital connectivity are not clearly understood, or if understood are not considered relevant, by asset professionals and other staff within local authorities.

The group took evidence from Infralink, led by infrastructure experts at the Scottish Futures Trust, and funded by the Scotland 5G Centre. It has been established to improve the engagement between potential public sector landlords and mobile industry tenants. To help the parties Infralink has established tools that are balanced, transparent and work across different areas of Scotland including standardised documents and payment guidance.

Solutions

The group proposed that greater awareness, knowledge, and use of the Datamap Wales tool would be an effective solution to the challenges faced in identifying public assets. Asset managers on the group welcomed proposals for the standardisation of documents and specifications, and of payments processes and guidance. Digital champions within public bodies were also highlighted as a potential solution to improve communications with the industry and to drive up understanding of the benefits of digital connectivity within public bodies.

Action

• Explore the use of Datamap Wales to identify and map public assets and learn from other approaches such as Infralink in Scotland.
• Create standard documentation for land transactions.
• Create standard payment guidance for land transactions.
• Create digital champions within public sector and industry bodies to act as single ‘front door’ to that organisation including reviewing which public bodies already have appropriate digital champions in place.

Barriers

Industry representatives highlighted that the reinstatement of areas with slabbed surfaces provide challenges for deploying fixed broadband. There is an industry tendency not to deploy underground infrastructure in slabbed areas because of the complications with reinstatement. There is a similar problem when reinstating specialist surfaces where a whole carriageway would have to be reinstated when only a narrow trench has been used for telecoms deployment.

The group identified that deploying fibre across structures such as bridges can lead to long delays where further agreements or indemnities are needed ahead of deployment.

Two barriers were identified in relation to recycled material. Firstly, the greater re-use of dug material from the on-site civil engineering works as infill material would help to deploy digital infrastructure more quickly. Secondly, a lack of, and capacity of, appropriate sites to dispose of waste materials from network build activity in Wales was seen as a barrier to efficient deployment of digital infrastructure. Network providers are having to look further afield for disposal sites, which impacts on costs and timelines.

Notice periods ahead of deployment of streetworks can cause delays and disruption when there is disagreement about the extent of works and whether the works are minor or major in nature. There is a need for better forward planning and engagement between streetworks authorities and network providers. Highways authorities indicated that they receive large numbers of notices, sometimes for the same deployment, impacting on local authority resources which can slow their approval.

A barrier was identified by local authority representatives in some parts of Wales where network providers notify the local authority of their plans to use Openreach Physical Infrastructure access (PIA) solutions (where they use the Openreach network rather than creating their own) but instead undertake their own civil engineering works. This can then lead to the need for more streetworks notices, which slows down delivery. This stems from a perceived complexity in using PIA.

Local authorities argue that rapid timelines for the roll-out of broadband driven by commercial and funding considerations do not always allow time for proper coordination and consideration of streetworks notice applications which can lead to local authorities being seen as a barrier. Network providers indicated a reluctance to provide advance notice of their intention to carry out streetworks too far ahead of deployment fearing that such noticing might confer commercial advantage to potential competitors in the area.

The group also highlighted that differing interpretation of the codes of best practice on streetworks can lead to vastly different approaches in different local authority areas. This in turn can lead to providers spending disproportionate amounts of time dealing with issues arising from these inconsistencies.

Solutions

A number of the barriers identified are dealt with in current codes of best practice on streetworks including notice periods for works and the interpretation of the codes and reinstatement. There was agreement that the codes are for the Welsh Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (WHAUC) to address rather than the barrier busting taskforce.

The group agreed that current legislation with regards to indemnities should be reviewed to ascertain whether there was a process already in place to speed up deployment across structures.

The group stated that there needs to be greater clarity over what waste materials can be used as infill and what needs to be sent to a waste site. The codes of best practice surrounding the use and disposal of waste materials may need to be revised but they relate to a range of civil engineering activity rather than solely to telecommunications. Further discussion is needed within Welsh Government on waste disposal and re-use.

There was a call for more information from Welsh Government on where broadband and mobile network providers are deploying.

In terms of the use of Openreach PIA it was agreed the solution was better communication between the provider and the highway authority when things change and to ensure that codes of practice are followed.

It was agreed that discussions between providers and local authorities around major notifications need to happen well ahead of time to allow better coordination of streetworks activity. This would tackle potential large numbers of smaller notices having to be dealt with by local authorities. However, a solution needs to be considered that protects commercial sensitivities around deployment.

Action

• Recommend to WHAUC that up-to-date standards on streetworks are adopted.
• Carry out a review of indemnities to ascertain whether there was a process already in place to speed up deployment across structures.
• Welsh Government to explore revision of the streetworks codes of best practice for re-use of excavated materials.
• Welsh Government to work with the waste industry and regulator to explore the capacity of sites to dispose of waste material.
• Local authorities and broadband and mobile network providers to work together to determine ways to share information about roll-outs of digital infrastructure confidentially to allow earlier discussions.

Barriers

The working group identified communications between network providers and local authorities as a barrier. There is a need to ensure that mobile and broadband network providers can speak to the officers in local authorities that are able to deal with the issues at hand. Also, decisions of individual local authority officers need to be aligned with overall digital goals for their authority. There is a need for ongoing open discussions to start at senior levels within local authorities and filter down through the organisation.

A lack of comprehensive mobile coverage data was highlighted by local authorities as a barrier to understanding the plans of the mobile operators.

The mobile industry representatives argued that the planning regulations particularly around permitted development rights in Wales are less permissive than those of England and Scotland. 

Solutions

A single point of contact within public bodies for ‘all things digital’ would be beneficial. It was recognised that some authorities already had contact points in place. There should be a senior digital champion within local authorities who can coordinate across departments, not just planning.  The seniority of the digital champions is important, as is the need for a group of senior representatives from relevant departments to support the digital champion in dealing with enquiries from digital infrastructure providers. 

In terms of solutions, the group agreed that a review is needed to understand which local authorities already have digital champions and how they work in their respective local authorities to inform good practice.

The mobile industry suggested changes to planning regulations:

• Prior approval for masts up to 30 metres in unprotected areas and a corresponding increase to 25 metres in protected areas.
• Increases in the width of a mast should be based on the widest point which would help facilitate bigger masts to support sharing and have increases of up to 50% or two metres whichever is the greater.
• The increase in heights of existing masts needs to be re-examined in light of more permissive rules in England and Scotland.
• Clarification over what is deemed a mast on rooftops rather than a pole.
• Examination of what volume of equipment can be placed in a compound with a view to removal of volume caps.
• Change regulations on volume of cabinets with a view to reflecting the laws in Scotland and England where up to 2.5 cubic metres is permissible.
• Update guidance, for example TAN 19.

Action

• Welsh Government to continue to explore with Ofcom and industry access to comprehensive mobile data. 
• Review planning regulations regarding permitted development rights in particular.
• Review and update TAN 19 guidance.

Barriers

The group found that while there was an understandable focus on underserved premises in rural areas cities still have premises that are not connected to fast and reliable broadband. There are around 2,000 properties in Cardiff, for example, that receive a broadband service at 10Mbps or less but don’t necessarily qualify for public funding under the UK Government Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS). 

Several barriers related to the ability of smaller alternative network providers (Altnets) to roll-out gigabit broadband were identified. The lot sizes for the UK Gigabit project could become a barrier to smaller providers bidding for coverage if they are too large. Also, economics, topography and population density mean that not enough rural premises are included in commercial broadband roll-outs leaving premises to be served through publicly funded interventions or not at all. Overbuild of altnet networks by larger providers using GBVS vouchers was identified as a barrier to competition of supply.

Discussion on mobile connectivity concentrated on spectrum bands. While it was recognised that spectrum bands used in rural areas have good propagation qualities, they are less suitable for mobile broadband or to address seasonal mobile phone capacity issues.  This is a barrier to useable and reliable mobile broadband.

Solutions

The group agreed that the issue of underserved areas in cities should form part of the review into the ABC scheme. It was recognised that the current funding amounts for ABC may not be sufficient to ensure a fibre connection in city areas. 

Discussions should take place with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on changing the rules of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to request that underserved areas in cities should be eligible for vouchers despite of their designated Ofcom market area status.

The group agreed that more premises in rural areas should be included in broadband roll-outs although the mechanism for ensuring rural connectivity would need to be worked through as part of developing the solutions. This could be either to connect a certain percentage in a rural area to include more difficult to reach premises or to provide a fibre backbone so that premises become more eligible or viable for government vouchers or the Universal Service Obligation (USO). There is recognition that there is a commercial aspect and intervening in less economic areas is not viable without Government intervention.

Discussion is needed with DCMS around how the GBVS works in practice in rural areas and the issues it is causing through overbuild and the impact it is having on smaller suppliers. It was suggested that a time limit is put on an Open Market Review (OMR) commitment by a provider to address any one area so that other providers are not excluded from using vouchers where a deployment commitment fails to materialise.

There needs to be engagement across the industry as part of the work to develop the Welsh lotting strategy for Project Gigabit. It is anticipated that the work to develop a lotting strategy would start following the OMR and public review processes on Project Gigabit in Wales.

It was recognised that further discussion with Ofcom is needed on mobile spectrum availability to understand these barriers fully and to understand what solutions there may be.

Action

• Consider the findings of the ABC review to explore how to increase coverage in underserved urban and sub-urban areas.
• Welsh Government to seek changes to the UK Government GBVS scheme to include unserved urban and suburban areas.
• Welsh Government to discuss inclusion of rural premises in broadband roll-outs with industry.
• Welsh Government to review overbuild issues with GBVS scheme with UK Government.
• Welsh Government to engage with Ofcom on spectrum usage and through the consultation processes on the Ofcom Mobile Strategy.
• Welsh Government to engage with industry ahead of the development of the Project Gigabit lotting strategy.  

The barriers identified through the discussion fall into several categories:

• Communication between and within organisations, and between organisations and residents or businesses.
• Resources both within public bodies and industry.
• Extending coverage through publicly funded schemes.
• Standards and codes of best practice for the deployment of infrastructure
• Standard approaches to public assets.
• Changes to planning regulation.
• Working with Ofcom.

As set out above the potential actions and mitigations emerging from the work of the various groups ranged from tangible solutions that might be implemented relatively quickly, for example, undertaking research into the understanding of residents and businesses about the digital connectivity, to other less clearly defined and high-level solutions that will take further work across the whole of Wales to shape and refine, such as building on work already underway to introduce digital champions to local authorities.

As highlighted above the issue of resource constraints was beyond the remit of the taskforce.

The actions set out above have been brigaded under six overarching recommendations that set out the high-level strategic response to the barriers identified, as follows:

1. Take action to improve communications on digital infrastructure with residents and businesses.
2. Facilitate open and transparent communications between the telecommunications industry and public bodies in Wales.
3. Work across public bodies and the telecommunications industry to extend coverage of broadband in Wales through changes to publicly funded schemes.
4. Create a standardised approach to managing public assets for digital infrastructure.
5. Update standards and codes of best practice to underpin the delivery of digital infrastructure in Wales.
6. Use information and regulatory levers available in Wales to drive improvements in digital infrastructure and create the right conditions for investment.

The taskforce has identified 22 separate actions. It is unrealistic to be able to deliver all the actions contiguously and therefore an element of prioritisation is needed.  The taskforce board agreed that actions that underpin the improvement in communications with residents and businesses and facilitate of open and transparent communications between the telecommunications industry and public bodies should be prioritised in the short term.

Take action to improve communications on digital infrastructure with residents and businesses.

• Establish digital champions within public sector to drive up understanding of the benefits of digital connectivity within public bodies.
• Carry out research into the understanding of residents and businesses on the digital connectivity that is available to them.
• Undertake a communications campaign:
  • To improve the knowledge of residents and businesses about the connectivity options available to them.
  • Outline the benefits of digital connectivity to residents and businesses.
  • To inform communities about what deployment work involves.
  • To communicate with landlords of multiple dwelling units.
  • Signpost residents and businesses to existing campaigns such as the #5GCheckTheFact
• Create a network of community digital champions learning from work already underway in the Swansea Bay City Region.

Facilitate open and transparent communications between the telecommunications industry and public bodies in Wales.

• Create digital champions within public sector and industry bodies to act as single ‘front door’ to that organisation including reviewing which public bodies already have appropriate digital champions in place.
• Local authorities and broadband and mobile network providers to work together to determine ways to share information about roll-outs of digital infrastructure confidentially to allow earlier discussions.

Work across public bodies and the telecommunications industry to extend coverage of broadband in Wales through changes to publicly funded schemes.

• Consider the findings of the ABC review to explore how to increase coverage in underserved urban and sub-urban areas.
• Welsh Government to seek changes to the UK Government GBVS scheme to include unserved urban and suburban areas.
• Welsh Government to discuss inclusion of rural premises in broadband roll-outs with industry.
• Welsh Government to review overbuild issues with GBVS scheme with UK Government.
• Welsh Government to engage with industry ahead of the development of the Project Gigabit lotting strategy.  

Create a standardised approach to managing public assets for digital infrastructure.

• Explore the use of Datamap Wales to identify and map public assets and learn from other approaches such as Infralink in Scotland.
• Create standard documentation for land transactions.
• Create standard payment guidance for land transactions.

Update standards and codes of best practice to underpin the delivery of digital infrastructure in Wales.

• Recommend to WHAUC that up-to-date standards on streetworks are adopted. 
• Carry out a review of indemnities to ascertain whether there was a process already in place to speed up deployment across structures.
• Welsh Government to explore revision of the streetworks codes of best practice for re-use of excavated materials.
• Welsh Government to work with the waste industry and regulator to explore the capacity of sites to dispose of waste material.

Use information and regulatory levers available in Wales to drive improvements in digital infrastructure and create the right conditions for investment.

• Welsh Government to continue to explore with Ofcom and industry access to comprehensive mobile data. 
• Review planning regulations regarding permitted development rights in particular.
• Review and update TAN 19 guidance.
• Welsh Government to engage with Ofcom on spectrum usage and through the consultation processes on the Ofcom Mobile Strategy.