Ed richards ofcom biography of rory
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It is a very basic estimate predicated on the assumption that, to increase from 95% to 98% coverage, we would need to build approximately 1,500 masts, and that the average cost of a mast hovers at just under £150,000. So the figure of £215 million represents a worst-case scenario. The assumption is that the mobile phone companies will cover some of the costs of the masts anyway, because they will get increased revenue as a result of installing them. The Government should not have to pay for all those masts. Furthermore, companies such as Three already have the infrastructure in place, and were those companies to win that bit in the auction, they would not have to pay to install new masts. The £215 million is a worst-case projection for getting up to 1,500 extra masts and pushing through to 98% coverage.
Are we prepared to turn around in 2015 and säga to people in this country and people in our constituencies, “No, everybody else in the world can h
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Rory Speaks on Rural Broadband and Mobile Coverage
Transcript
I beg to move, that this House recognises that rural businesses and rural communities across the UK are isolated and undermined by slow broadband and the lack of mobile voice and mobile broadband coverage; urges Ofcom to increase the coverage obligation attached to the 800MHz spectrum licence to 98 per cent.; and calls upon the Government to fulfil its commitment to build both the best superfast broadband network in Europe and provide everyone in the UK with a minimum of 2 Mbps by 2015.
I am grateful for the opportunity to move this motion, which also bears the names of 100 other Members of Parliament. When I last saw Ed Richards, the head of Ofcom, he said that the most powerful argument he required was a political argument. He wanted to hear that Members of Parliament cared about broadband and mobile coverage. If that is all he requires, I might as well resume my seat now. I am not an expert on the constitutional
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Broadband: Are you being served?
- Rory Cellan-Jones
- 9 Mar 09, 13:26 GMT
Reading Ed Richards' answers to your questions about broadband regulation, a couple of things strike me.
Firstly, it's clear that super-fast broadband - and how to get it to everyone who might want or need it - is arguably the most important issue now for the regulator.
But what also seems clear is that, for many broadband users, it's not the future that's the issue - it's the poor service that they're currently getting from their providers. And it's not at all clear that customers are being effectively served - either by the industry or by the regulator.
When we did our Broadband Britain series last year, we broke all records in terms of audience response - in 48 hours, around 60,000 people plotted their broadband speeds and, in many cases, vented their frustration that they were not getting what they thought they'd been promised.
And, when we asked for questions for Ed Richards, the recurr