Question 8

[fiwipie]

What do you consider to be the optimum procurement approach or commercial model that balances the public sector’s need to demonstrate value for money with private sector considerations?

[fiwipie]

Asset ownership is what matters, the actual building of the network is a mere blip in the whole of life of network

– FttH infrastructure will be delivering service for decades and be built in a matter of months in many cases and over perhaps a 5 year term for the country as a whole

What is absolutely essential is to recognise the dangers that FttH presents as a natural First Mile monopoly, just as the 22-odd million km's of D side copper pairs owned by BT Openreach is today -

Where taxpayers money is involved, every resultant network needs to be owned, governed, structured in such a way as to put the interests of people first, preferably via asset-locked community interest mechanisms, supported by external regulation in the case of the CIC approach

[cyberdoyle]

In an ideal world every community would own its own infrastructure, but I can't see this happening unless parish councils, city and county councils get involved. Setting up community CICs is not for the fainthearted.

[fiwipie]

In an ideal world every community would own its own infrastructure, but I can't see this happening unless parish councils, city and county councils get involved. Setting up community CICs is not for the fainthearted.

Which is why we've set up NextGenUs UK CIC, to act as a trusted outsourced infrastructure owner

Some communities will do it themselves for sure