Helping Members Navigate the Regulatory Rapids
As government gets to grips with its promises on full fibre and gigabit connectivity it is unleashing a flood of policy initiatives and consultations across our industry.
While some organisations are large enough to sustain a full-time Policy & Regulatory Affairs officer or even a team, many are not. In any case, with the volume of activity, all organisations will likely feel the need for extra resource to to stay informed and get their voice heard in the policy and regulatory arena.
Delivering High Quality Interventions
As a sector it is vital that we influence the policy and regulatory environment through high-quality consultation responses, direct interventions with ministers, regular meetings with DCMS, DSIT and Ofcom officials and responses to parliamentary inquiries. These activities complement the work of our individual members. The quality and success of our interventions will help shape the future market and the opportunities available to INCA members – principally operators and their suppliers, but also the broader sector including funders, consultants and advisors.
In response to this need, and in response to INCA Member feedback, we offer the INCA Policy and Regulatory Affairs subscription service. Provided through INCA by two experienced operators in this arena: Clarity and GOS Consulting – both well known to INCA and INCA Members – this will help deliver the high-quality interventions you need in this area.
For a low monthly fee, subscribers will get:
- Membership of a reconstituted Policy & Regulatory group, meeting regularly face to face or via video conference.
- The group will determine INCA’s policy and regulatory priorities in consultation with INCA’s board.
- Group members will receive detailed, expert briefings on key policy and regulatory issues to assist with their own responses to consultations.
- The group will discuss and agree joint INCA responses to policy and regulatory consultations, with access to expert support.
- Group members will be invited to influential strategic events with key policy makers and regulators - e.g. round table lunches and dinners, which in the past have involved the Digital Minister, CEO of Ofcom, other key officials.
- Access at a discounted member rate to both Political Intelligence and GOS if you have specific consultations or projects with which you need short-term extra help.
Subscribers get all this for a low monthly fee of £350 + VAT. Minimum subscription period is 1 year initially with 1 month notice thereafter. Fees are reviewed annually. A subscription to this service is bundled within the Tier 1 annual fee at no extra charge.
This is in addition to the core member benefit of the policy and regulatory briefing service available to all members containing the key highlights that leaders in the sector need to have visibility of. This is a core activity available to all INCA Members.
If you are concerned about any of the following policy areas, then you should subscribe to the new INCA Policy and Regulatory Service. You can sign up to the service here, or contact us with any queries. Note that your organisation must be a Tier 2 or Tier3 member of INCA in order to subscribe to this service.
Policy & Regulatory Activities
- Project Gigabit - DCMS is deploying £5bn of funding to support rural gigabit network deployment through BDUK. We need to ensure that the needs of the independent sector are fully taken into account as the process unfolds.
- Ofcom Consultations – Ofcom has a full work programme for the year ahead, with multiple initiatives and consultations. Many of these will have a direct impact on the businesses and opportunities of INCA members.
- Switching & Wholesale – We have an established working group addressing the issues around Gaining Provider Led (GPL) switching and wholesale aggregation.
- Standards, PIA, Barrier Busting - etc. It can feel like the list just keeps getting longer. The INCA team is active on behalf of members, thinking ahead, and putting in place the measures needed to address policy and regulatory issues before they become problems.
A Successful Track Record
INCA’s 2016 report ‘Building Gigabit Britain' was a milestone along the route to a ‘full fibre and 5G’ policy led by the Secretary of State. Our recommendations landed with an open-minded minister and are now largely being implemented. We now need to make sure that we have the collective horsepower for the Altnet community to fully gain the benefits of a policy, regulatory and funding environment built substantially on the basis of our efforts. Working with Clairity (who provide the secretariat for ISPA amongst other associations) and GOS Consulting, together we have a great team to maximise our impact.