SCTE Broadband - Dec 2024

FROM THE INDUSTRY

firms will need to adapt to potential increases in operational costs from green initiatives and policy changes around energy supply. The European Union (EU) considers the UK’s recent Labour budget, especially regarding broadband and digital infrastructure, as part of its broader alignment with digital transformation goals across Europe. Although Labour’s plans to expand gigabit broadband access and achieve nationwide 5G by 2030 have not prompted a formal EU response, the strategy is broadly in line with recent EU policies on connectivity and tech growth, such as the EU’s Gigabit Infrastructure Act. This legislation, which aims to expedite high-speed network rollouts across member states, aligns with Labour’s push for improved broadband to drive digital innovation and economic growth in the UK. From Brussels’ perspective, these UK goals, despite Brexit, may reinforce competitiveness and regulatory consistency with Europe’s broader telecom advancements.

up from their own ongoing leadership concerns as they continue to face something of an existential crisis of their own. Concerns centre on Labour’s long- standing ambition to provide public broadband access and partially renationalise British Telecom (BT), which they argue could harm the private sector. The Daily Mail and The Telegraph claim that nationalising broadband would lead to massive, unsustainable costs— citing figures as high as £100 billion to expand and maintain a full-fibre network nationwide. Critics also argue that such plans could stifle private investment and that current competition among broadband providers has fostered innovation and lowered prices. Right-leaning media also point out that Labour’s plan to tax tech companies to fund broadband expansion could push those costs back onto consumers, at a time when economic pressures are high. Overall, Labour’s budget is likely to prompt a gradual shift towards sustainable, high-capacity telecommunications infrastructure, though

XGS PON Remote MAC/PHY 4G / 5G Business Ethernet MACSec Outoor Installation PTP Support 10/25/100G Interfaces

100G

wisigroup.com Get more informations! RS-Series Outdoor Aggregation Switches

74

Volume 46 No.4 DECEMBER 2024

Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker