8 Summary of recommendations
Recommendation 1: Radically increase the profile of ICT within Scottish productivity policy
- R1.1 Develop and maintain an overall ICT policy for Scotland
- R1.2 Ensure appropriate coordination of ICT-related activities across departments
- R1.3 Monitor the impact of ICT, and broadband, on Scotland's productivity
- R1.4 Raise with HM Treasury the question of whether the tax system should be used to incentivise business investment in ICT-related innovation
Recommendation 2: Ensure that existing publicly-funded ICT support is '2B ready'
- R2.1 Ensure that the relevant websites reflect the availability, features and additional benefits of 2B services
- R2.2 Ensure that publicly funded business advisers are aware of the availability, features and additional benefits of 2B services
- R2.3 Ensure that the content of publicly funded seminars/workshops raises business awareness of the availability, features and additional benefits of 2B services
Recommendation 3: Exploit the broadband-enabled web as a channel for stimulating ICT-related innovation by Scottish businesses
- R3.1 Provide Scottish businesses with the ability to benchmark their ICT usage and business processes easily against similarly-sized peers in their own sector
- R3.2 Assess the feasibility of developing and maintaining much richer ICT-related advice content on the web
- R3.3 Explore the scope for collaborating with other UK nations and regions in the provision of web-based ICT advice to businesses
- R3.4 Consider creating and advertising a single memorable URL for ICT-related advice to Scottish businesses
Recommendation 4: Develop mechanisms for identifying and aggregating under-served demand for broadband
- R4.1 Develop a mechanism for identifying under-served demand for 1B, 2B and 3B+ broadband
- R4.2 Develop a mechanism for aggregating under-served demand for 1B broadband
Recommendation 5: Minimise avoidable barriers to private sector investment in 2B/3B+ networks
- R5.1 Facilitate a dialogue between operators and the Scottish Assessors Association regarding the rateable values of next generation broadband access infrastructures
- R5.2 Continue to ensure that 'lane rentals' are not introduced in Scotland
- R5.3 Relax planning restrictions on antennas sited at customers' premises
- R5.4 Support Ofcom's market-led approach towards the use of the 'Digital Dividend' spectrum
- R5.5 Ensure that Scotland's interests are reflected in Ofcom's Wholesale Broadband Access Review
Recommendation 6: Avoid market-distorting interventions in the 2B/3B+ markets
- R6.1 Refrain from offering 2B/3B+ subsidies to operators
- R6.2 Avoid offering retail 2B/3B+ services off the back of networks built for the public sector's own use
- R6.3 Avoid imposing compulsory duct/fibre/cabling requirements on property developers
- R6.4 Refrain from offering broadband subsidies to businesses or households in areas unable to obtain 2B or 3B+ services at this stage
- R6.5 Refrain from undertaking any high profile promotion of 2B/3B+ services at this stage
Recommendation 7: Ensure that Scotland's planning system takes competitive broadband availability into account
- R7.1 Ensure that Scotland-wide data on planned new housing/employment sites is made readily available to operators
- R7.2 Develop a Planning Advice Note regarding broadband availability considerations
Recommendation 8: On completion of the 'Pathfinder' procurements, determine the optimum scale and scope for future public sector broadband demand aggregation initiatives