The Working Group is As AI drives is identifying pathways to expand delivery on demand for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, now essential to provision of AI and UK competitiveness, enabling innovation and equitable access across regions and communities. This includes identifying and highlighting policy implications for inclusive, future-ready digital infrastructure that supports smart communities and ensures resilient, reliable, and interoperable networks and data. As AI drives is identifying pathways to expand delivery on demand for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, now these infrastructures are essential to provision of AI and UK competitiveness, enabling innovation and equitable access across regions and communities.

Authorities have a crucial role to play in delivering digital infrastructure but are often not aware of this. This is particularly important, given the current Covid pandemic and the inevitable pressure that public finances will come under at both a local and national level in the coming years.

Local authorities can adopt a model of implementation that comes in the form of Private Finance Initiatives, which results in the private sector owning all the assets. Alternative forms of digital infrastructure have been explored examining what other digital alternatives can be deployed, including the use of satellites. The Group has considered plans to examine how the Universal Service Obligation can be delivered; how the telecoms market can be satisfactorily and sufficiently regulated for the future and the challenges involved with allowing competition to be promoted.