Some thoughts on the Carter Report

Cover of Digital Britain report

Last month saw the publication of the interim Digital Britain report from UK Minister for Communications Stephen Carter and his team. Most of the headlines have focused on the ‘2MB for all by 2012′ promise, but the report raises other issues for digital publishing.

National high-speed broadband access is likely to be a reality if not in 3 then at least 5 years time – regardless of the Government – as users expect more and more instant access to media and communications, free and online. The report’s target in this regard – everyone in Britain to have access to broadband with a data rate of at least 2 megabits per second by 2012 – is in any case undemanding, since this can already be delivered to over 90% of the population (source: Informitv), and the average broadband home in Britain actually receives around 3.6Mbps at the moment (source: Ofcom).

Neither can the report be said to be particularly forward-looking, with its focus on DAB (a format which consumers have not shown themselves to be that enthusiastic about so far) and digital television networks: there is mounting evidence that the under-30 age group regularly, if not exclusively, access entertainment media through the internet.

The report is right in noting, however, the importance of wireless broadband for current and future delivery of content. The surge in demand created by the popularity of the iPhone and other factors has made this channel increasingly vital.

While the main focus of the report is on audio / visual content, there are several key points that relate to the online publishing market.

The government’s acknowledgement that more needs to be done to secure copyright and prevent piracy will be welcomed. And users will applaud their encouragement for new forms of delivery that meet digital consumer demand. It’s not a new issue, but it is one that is yet to be resolved in online publishing – new business models for digital delivery are needed to create revenue from online usage. These will inevitably centre on flexible content delivery in small chunks, and the creation of easy-to-use environments to discover and deliver that content.

Carter sees the solution to delivery and DRM as a “win / win / win” scenario. Many in publishing are sceptical – perhaps reasonably so – but hesitation will not reap rewards. And what this report reminds us is that the ground is moving beneath our feet and at an accelerating rate.

With the government seemingly committed (although not committing notable resources) to increasing digital capacity and competence across the UK, we should not doubt that consumer expectations will continue to rise. Our services will succeed if they are ready – not just for the ‘old hands’ who we need to lure away from illegal peer-to-peer networks, but for the new consumers for whom new devices and increased infrastructure are providing digital access without the need for expert understanding. Will we buy eBooks through digitally enabled media centres (once known as televisions)? Perhaps. Will mobile phone know-how be all you need to access library content from around the world? Maybe.

One thing is for sure – we will never move fast enough to get ahead of expectation, but with constant vigilance, flexible strategies, and innovation we can be ready for the next big thing.

- More about the Digital Britain Report from the Dept. for Culture, Media and Sport website

- Download the Digital Britain Interim Report (from the DCMS website – pdf 1.5MB)