Cornish Villages 4G Trial - Report Example

?Cornish Villages 4G Trial Introduction In October a trial run utilizing 4G/LTE technology was commenced among 200 residents of South Newquay and St Newlyn East in Cornwall, with mobile firm Everything Everywhere and wholesale service provider BT Wholesale, (BT Wholesale, 2011; Ray, 2011). It was preceded by an eight week laboratory tests, and is not limited to mobile phone subscribers but also to fixed line users, for which it is “a world first” (Goss, 2011). The trial is just the beginning of a full-scale nationwide effort to bring digital communications capability to the furthest reaches of the UK (Cowell, 2011; Doyle, 2011). It is the aim of the Government to establish the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015 (BIS, 2010), and to meet the EC target for all citizens to have access to basic level of broadband of 2 Mbps by 2013 (EC, 2010). The wireless technology is envisioned to best benefit the ‘notspots’, or internet blackspots that cannot be reached by the traditional fibre-optic cable networks, since the 4G network relies on satellite dishes and the mobile phone network (McDonnell, 2011). The following discussion shall treat on the technical aspects, the social and user background, and the legal and policy frameworks that support and impact upon the UK broadband connectivity project. 2. Technical Background 4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards in the telecommunications industry, next to the 2G and 3G technologies. What the technology comprises exactly is difficult to define, and for a long time before the true 4G technology existed, its forerunners (LTE & WiMAX) were marketed as 4G. For instance, 4G has been described ‘as having peak speed requirements… at 100 Mpbs for high mobility communication (such as from trains and cars) and 1 Gbps for low mobility communication (such as pedestrians and stationary users,’ which definition, however, has been observed to applying to two technologies in particular. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) stated that the term 4G may also apply to its forerunners (LTE & WiMAX) and evolved 3G (HSPA+), which enabled said technologies to advertise themselves as 4G (Broadband Expert, 2011). Most of the networks that currently support 4G capability are backed by LTE (referring to Long Term Evolution) technology, particularly in the US and being introduced in the UK. This technology is theoretically rated to have a maximum download speed of 300 Mbps and top upload speed of 75 Mbps. In the US where LTE networks are in use, however, one can realistically expect download speed to be within 6 and 12 Mbps due to simultaneous user traffic. The other technology, WiMAX, is currently used by US carrier Sprint and others, but is not planned to be used in the UK. According to Sprint, WiMAX is capable of real world download speed of between 3 and 6 Mbps. WiMax has a theoretical top download speed of 128 Mbps and 56 Mbps for upload speed (Broadband Expert, 2011). HSPA+, the evolved 3G which now markets as 4G technology, presents itself as a quick and easy, cost-effective near term solution for upgrading presently existing 3G networks. It is much slower than LTE, with theoretical top download speed of 21 Mbps and realistic speeds from 2 Mbps to 4 Mbps (Broadband Expert, 2011). More recently, the advanced versions of WiMAX and LTE have emerged in the market, which both have theoretical capability of 1 Gbps download (ISPreview, 2011). As implied by the differences between theoretical and real world speeds, nearly all broadband services suffer from highly variable speeds. The current range of download speed in the UK is between 1 and 2 Mbps. There are several advantages, in present-day 4G broadband technology, though. ‘Mobile Broadband is often described as being the only real alternative to fixed line services because it has the advantage of being both affordable and widely available, from almost anywhere, to a significant portion of the UK population’ (ISPreview, 2011). A brief enumeration of the most salient advantages and disadvantages of the 4G broadband technology are shown in the following table: Technology Advantages Technology Disadvantages Cheap hardware and services Slow upload speeds and unreliable to slow download speeds Good usage allowances Slow or unstable latency, i.e. bad for games, VoIP Good coverage, excellent for roaming Some operators block VoIP and other services Easy to setup Stability, i.e. disconnections are not uncommon, especially when roaming Source: ISPreview, 2011 In assessing these advantages and disadvantages, it must be kept in mind that continuous research and development into 4G are bound to eradicate many of the disadvantages and highlight further areas of improvement. The subsequent development of a fifth-general broadband technology, on the other hand, is not seen to render the roll-out on 4G broadband useless because as 4G built on 3G, the present investment will likely provide the foundation for future generation technology in such a way that transition will not entail much cost. 3. Social and User Background There are a good many possible applications for the Digital Agenda in the UK, as well as any country. Foremost among these is the enhancement of transparency and efficiency in public administration. In the US, where digital technologies are already in full implementation, a government data store has already been established, publishing such information as central government spending with the prospect of local governments embarking on a similar project. Presently, the UK lags behind Australia and the US, but the enhancement of digital technologies, particularly of 4G broadband communication, will open up opportunities for linking significantly large databases to public inspection. At the front end of ‘digital government’, DirectGov is increasingly emerging as the likely portal for citizen-government interaction. To date, both houses of Parliament are effective users of social media, facilitated by faster broadband links that have enabled projects like ‘Lords of the Blog’ and a Public Reading Stage for bills (Williamson, 2011). Another useful application of the Digital Agenda would be the enhancement of public access to the resources of the museums libraries, and archives of the MLA, and the more frequent patronage of their services. An example would be the chance to make available the e-book versions of even rare literary works, and open them for public view. The enabling of digital portals to access historical and cultural information in these ‘repositories’ of our national culture, will likely increase public interest and appreciation of the value of these documents and our heritage. Eventually, the digital project will aid in the promotion of active citizenship and the realization of community cohesion agendas (MLA, 2011). While digital access has in many ways connected people in different places, it also tends to demarcate between those segments of society (or countries, for that matter) who have access to technology, and those who don’t. There are vital implications of being connected; the gap between the population with online access and those who do not, are not separated by physical distance per se. Different social communities span the world form from special interest forums or social networks, increasing interactions between potentially large groups of individuals. This phenomenon was demonstrated in the unfolding Middle Eastern social activism that has unseated dictatorships, fuelled by internet reporting, blogs, and posts in Twitter and Facebook. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has determined that 88% of people in Sweden are online, while in Greece only 43.5% of the people are connected. Data such as these suggest that ‘the scale of a country’s digital divide reflects the condition of its economy’ (Gray, in Wakefield, 2010). The map below show the percentage of people still offline as of 2008. Source: ITU, 2008 in Wakefield, 2010 From the foregoing figure, approximately one-fourth of the population is still offline. While this figure is much better than most developing countries, is slightly better than the US and Australia and slightly worse off than South Korea, it is nevertheless trailing Iceland and Switzerland by a wide margin (Wakefield, 2010). 4. Legal and Policy Background The legal mandate backing up the broadband trial and eventual rollout lies in the Digital Agenda, issued by the European Commission in August 2010. Its expressed aim is ‘to deliver sustainable economic and social benefits from a digital single market based on fast and ultra fast internet and interoperable applications’ (EC, 2010, p. 3). The Digital Agenda is itself part of a larger effort, the Europe 2020 Strategy launched by the EU in March 2010, the purpose of which is to exit the economic crisis and prepare the EU for the next decade. The Agenda’s objective is to maximize the social and economic potential of ICT throughout the EU, with the hope of spurring innovation, economic growth, and a general improvement of daily life for businesses and individuals. Key to this initiative is the wider deployment and maximal use of digital technologies, to eventually impact health care, safe and efficient transport solutions, clean environment, new media opportunities, and easy access to public services and cultural content (EC, 2010). The policy statement behind the Digital Agenda is encapsulated in the following figure: Virtuous cycle of the digital economy (Source: EC, 2010, p .4) The enhancement of digital capabilities in the economy is seen to address the various inefficiencies plaguing the country’s (and Union’s) production and commercial systems. It is envisioned to deliver enhanced intelligence to support R&D, skills development, managerial decision making and government policy formulation; improve communications for better coordination and interoperability; and tighten security to prevent cybercrime, engender trust in the market and enhance the speed and efficiency of commercial transactions (EC, 2010). A digitally connected EU will be better positioned to set the standards for operation to support its economic framework. Government involvement is necessary in setting up the networks particularly in rural, low-density areas, until increased traffic and greater viability encourages investment by the private sector in these areas. The regulatory framework for UK’s rural broadband is gradually adjusting in preparation for the wholesale installation of broadband capability. Present regulations allow one service provider monopoly over a small area because no provider is willing to invest in a place with few subscribers. Prices are then fixed to allow for a decent return to the company without their taking advantage of the customers. Because of this new program, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) has decided to deregulate prices that service providers can charge. Ofcom hopes to spur greater competition among them which should result to a lowering of prices for broadband services to the consumers. The aim is to create greater value at the grassroots level for more people to be encouraged to get connected (Ofcom, 2011). The trials currently being run are helpful in determining whether or not a healthy sort of competition may be enhanced among the ISPs that would reduce prices and make the system more efficient. If competition is enhanced, then it is likely that Ofcom will most likely lift wholesale regulation, to the benefit of consumers. Presently, as many as 78% of households in urban areas are enjoying the benefits of healthy competition among internet service providers; with the present initiative, it is hoped that rural areas will follow. 5. Conclusion The Cornwall 4G broadband trial project is an exciting development in the wireless telecommunication industry, although eventually an interconnection among fibre optic and other communication networks is inevitable and desirable. The leadership position assumed by the government is necessary and ideal. The lackluster private sector interest in this field is to be expected, since the demand for broadband services is weak, particularly in the rural areas where they are most needed and would provide the greatest benefit. The relaxation of regulatory measures to allow for the take-off of the 4G broadband project provides the necessary incentive to draw the interest of private investors. Creating the potential for profit will encourage the entry of for-profit firms into the broadband network industry, spur innovation and improve cost-efficiency, enhance healthy competition that would lower prices to more affordable levels. Business viability is seen to speed up technological development in broadband networking, lower costs, encourage its use by more people and institutions, and eventually enable a faster economic recovery and fastrack social development in the more remote parts of the country. 6. Main Challenges According to the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), there are three foreseen challenge areas: Pipes, referring to the economics of the network that ensures the viability of the necessary physical infrastructure to maintain the broadband network sustainably and cost-effectively; Poems, pertaining to the economics of content and services, that facilitates the efficient revenue flow from consumers of the content and services to their producers and providers; and People, contemplating their protection and enablement to ascertain that infrastructure and interfaces meet user expectations of quality, security, usability and flexibility (Technology Strategy Board, 2009, p. 5). On a more profound level, challenges are foreseen in the manner and degree the public shall accept and adhere to a way of life transformed by enhanced digital connectivity. Survey results reported to the European Commission showed that the greatest resistance stems from an innate distrust in the security and reliability of interactive electronic communication, in general. It is one thing to be at the receiving end of broadcast media such as television, or even in traditional internet surfing to download information. However, the idea of e-commerce, transaction and remittance of payments, and providing information or access to one’s credit card or bank accounts to a faceless entity runs against the instinct of traditional prudent business. Worries of identity theft and internet fraud are relevant and valid. To date, comprehensive and sufficiently powerful tools to counter cybercrime are still to be developed, since such crimes may be propagated by even small technology-savvy groups or individuals, who may be situated in any obscure part of the world, with the capability of causing dire consequences and massive loss to the victim. Aggravating this is the fact that such crimes may be done under cover of anonymity, allowing the perpetrators a great deal of time to conceal themselves long before the crime is discovered. The distrust is not only on the part of individual customers but also on the part of institutions. There are real transparency concerns in providing content and services, and security concerns in allowing access to databases, other than concerns about the added cost of running an online system. There is a good chance that even with the added opportunities of e-commerce capability, the business firm may not be assured of the necessary revenues to support the cost of going online. While a good number of these concerns, both on the side of the institutions and the individual consumers, may be addressed by continuing developments in hardware and software technologies, public perception and sentiment will only change through time and education. The new connectivity will have to prove itself through consistency and reliability of performance, not just technically but systemically. The public trust and confidence in the system is a requisite for the success of the Digital Agenda in the UK, otherwise the government will find itself several hundreds of millions out in this technological investment that only a small proportion of the population would want to use. Referencing BBC News 2011 ‘Cornwall trials new 4G internet technology.’ BBC News Cornwall. Accessed 30 October 2011 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-14642864 BT Wholesale 2011, 13 Oct ‘4G trial underway in Cornwall.’ Hermes Project. Accessed 29 October 2011 from http://www.thehermesproject.com/2011/10/4g-trial-underway-in-cornwall.html Cowell, E 2011 ‘Next generation 4G mobile broadband trial in Cornwall village begins – Metro’ UK Business Times (UKBT). Accessed 30 Oct 2011 from http://ukbusinesstimes.com/index.php/uk-technology/11047-next-generation-4g-mobile-broadband-trial-in-cornwall-village-begins-metro.html Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) 2010, Dec Britain’s Superfast Broadband Future. Accessed 29 October 2011 from http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7829.aspx Doyle, J 2011 ‘The Digital Agenda goes really local in the UK’. European Commission Digital Agenda for Europe. Accessed 29 October 2011 from http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/the-digital-agenda-goes-really-local-in-the-uk/ European Commission (EC) 2010 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A Digital Agenda for Europe. Accessed 29 October 2011 from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:0245:FIN:EN:PDF Goss, P. 2011, Oct 7 ‘4G LTE fixed and mobile broadband trial starts in Cornwall.’ Techradar.com. Accessed 28 October 2011 from http://www.techradar.com/news/networking/4g-lte-fixed-and-mobile-broadband-trial-starts-in-cornwall-1032436 ISPreview 2011 ‘Mobile Broadband Technology’. ISPreview Co. Accessed 30 October 2011 from http://www.ispreview.co.uk/broadband_mobile.php McDonnell, J 2011 ‘Next generation 4G mobile broadband trial in Cornwall village begins.’ Accessed 31 October 2011 from http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/878153-next-generation-4g-mobile-broadband-trial-in-cornwall-village-begins Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) 2011 ‘Digital’. Museums, Libraries and Archives. Accessed 29 October 2011 from http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/programmes/digital Office of Communications (Ofcom) 2011, July 20 ‘Better value rural broadband.’ Ofcom. Accessed 28 October 2011 from http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2011/07/better-value-rural-broadband/ Ray, B 2011, Oct 10 ‘Cornish villagers treated to 4G trial.’ The Register. Accessed 28 October 2011 from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/10/cornish_lte/ RichWeb Media Ltd 2011 ‘4G: What is it? How fast is it? What’s the UK coverage?’ Broadband Expert. Accessed 31 October 2011 from http://www.broadband-expert.co.uk/4g-mobile-broadband/ U.K. Technology Strategy Board 2009, June ‘Our strategy for Digital Britain,’ Driving Innovation. Accessed 28 October 2011 from http://www.innovateuk.org/_assets/pdf/TSB_DigitalBritainStrategy.pdf Wakefield, J 2010 ‘World wakes up to digital divide.’ BBC News, 19 March 2010. Accessed 28 October 2011 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8568681.stm Williamson, A 2011 ‘The Digital Agenda for Change: Where are we one year on?’ eDemocracy: Exploring the social and political impacts of technology. Hansard Society. Accessed 29 October 2011 from http://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blogs/edemocracy/archive/2011/06/14/the-digital-agenda-for-change-where-are-we-one-year-on.aspx Read More