How Connected Are You? > Intro

​​This report makes four clear recommendations based on public insight and attitudes and the need for greater investment in the industry:

1. Understanding is crucial to connectivity
   Leadership from national and local authorities and in conjunction with the industry is needed. Better education will safeguard the future of the UK’s connected society.
2. Digital Champions
   Dedicated roles are needed in every local authority area to help coordinate and prioritise digital connectivity and address digital exclusion. According to Farrpoint 49% of local authorities do not have a digital connectivity strategy that is less than three years old. 47% of authorities have a digital champion but this is part of another role. Only 23% have invested in a dedicated role.
3. Better resourcing in planning
   Increasing consumer demand, especially for data, requires mobile operators to invest continually in network coverage and capacity. The planning regimes across the United Kingdom were set down in legislation that pre-dates the move to 5G technologies. Planning regulations and the advice that goes with them must be urgently updated to enable mobile operators to deploy their networks to meet rapidly growing demand. Without this people and businesses will not have access to wider network coverage and the latest technologies.
4. Local leadership
   It’s clear while awareness of what constitutes mobile infrastructure is low, the majority of people are somewhat comfortable with new infrastructure. What they are not indifferent to is a scenario where they are unable to access the networks they rely on. More work needs to be done in areas needing new or upgraded infrastructure to convey the facts and debunk myths. Stronger public awareness and engaging in an honest debate with citizens about the benefits and importance of this infrastructure will lead to greater support to facilitate vital infrastructure to safeguard future connectivity.

The full report can be downloaded here