Sunday 28 February 2010

Digital Scotland: Recommendations

Our final report will include recommendations for policy and action. These will be founded on the evidence gathered in earlier sections.
The draft recommendations listed below may be amended in the light of further evidence.

Draft recommendations

  1. An integrated backbone providing universal access should be developed as strategic infrastructure for Scotland.
    This could be achieved by a combination of FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) in built-up areas, with sparser fiber provision supplemented by wireless distribution, in less-populated areas.
  2. Regulation should be made to require open data on core infrastructure and competitive access to nodes and ducts.
    This will enable innovation and the development of local community broadband in areas of market failure.
  3. All future transport infrastructures and urban developments should be pre-installed with tubes into which optical fibre may later be installed, or ”blown”, as a planning requirement.
  4. Open internet access should be provided, in schools, libraries, community centres etc., to support digital inclusion.
  5. A standard open licence for public data should be adopted and used.

Recommendations made elsewhere

  1. Install broadband fiber as part of every federally-funded infrastructure project.
  2. Deploy broadband fiber to every library, school, community health care center, and public housing facility in the United States
  3. Create incentives for providers to install multiple lines of fiber as new networks are rolled out.
  4. Encourage greater wireless broadband and reduce barriers to deployment.
  5. Vouchers to allow low-income students to get broadband Internet service at their homes.
These are taken from various sources, including Google's suggestions for US national bb plan.
We invite your comments on applicability to Scotland of the recommendations listed above and your contributions to help us formulate and shape our own recommendations.
Please comment below.
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