The Next Generation Digital Challenge awards 2013 programme is being supported by Go ON UK.
Go ON UK’s aim is to is to make the UK the most digitally capable nation in the world – and by sponsoring this awards programme they are turning the spotlight on the demand for new skills and expertise.
The Open Call for nominations closes on 30th April.
Full story here with details of how to nominate a contender.
Way back in the 1950’s the long slog of completing the great UK-wide changeover from AC to DC electricity was at last completed. It was of no great surprise that the last houses to be welcomed into that modern era were in the poorest and must run-down areas of of our cities.
In the 1970’s North Sea Gas conversions were still edging their way towards completion – and as with all such great infrastructure projects it was only with conversion of the remote ends of the network that the full benefits could be realised. Such is the nature of long term investments. Short-term patches and temporary fixes do not answer.
Right now, with the transformation of the entire economy, we are only beginning to understand the length of the long tail – a challenge that does not have a clear beginning and end because the pace of digital developments often runs faster than our efforts to catch up.
The report from the National Audit Office on the UK government’s ‘Digital by Default’ design for public services is a timely reminder that we have a long way to go – particularly for those who are most in need of public services.
This story will, inevitably, run and run.
If anyone knows the everyday reality of mobile network performance it is surely the user.
The mobile phone itself must be the most obvious source of data – even (or especially) when signals fail, calls drop out and texts are delayed.
Ofcom’s ‘Call for Input’ on this ‘Quality of Experience’ debate – what should or could be measured – raises the prospect of a prevarication-free zone where the development of an App to monitor the realities of coverage, throughput and call quality could gain regulatory blessing without being delayed by any Operators’ reluctance to be so exposed.
The debate may even be a sign that Ofcom is keen to champion the interests of the users rather more than bend to the interests of operators.
The consultation is open until 1st April.
For the first time in 10 years the FTTH Council Europe annual summit arrived in the UK.
I was only able to attend on the first day and a half but my observations are around the growing gulf between between economies who chose to be fully part of the global digital economy and those who merely aspire to ‘get by’.
The full story is at the main Groupe Intellex archive site here.
At a time when dishonesty seems the dominant theme of business news, Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas speaks up for ethical standards.
His keynote at a major conference in Bangalore deserves wider readership – so we’ve reproduced it in full.
Colin has long been a supporter of Groupe Intellex and we value his insights and occasional editorial contributions.
For our 2013 edition we have changed the design – starting with an Open Call for entries, suggestions and ideas.
The Challenge will this year honour and celebrate the enablers of your own digital economy.
We are also this year introducing a separate ‘smart city’ track for international exemplars.
The full details and how to throw in your suggestions can be found here.
Nominate Now and track how your contenders fare during the short-list selection, finalist places and the winners at the NextGen13 conference dinner on 14th October.
The Digital Challenge is a Groupe Intellex project in association with NG Events Ltd.
The first of this year’s Community Study Tours is planned for June and will visit Chattanooga – the USA’s first Gigabit City.
The final details will be confirmed soon after we get back from our ‘pathfinder’ visit (today we are only half way through) but the preliminary plan can be seen in the Business and Community Development section of the main Group Intellex website.
Chattanooga will interest not only ‘smart city’ developers but also innovators from energy utilities, environmentalists and investors. With inward manufacturing investment from VW, service relocation by Amazon and strong leadership in public services, the city has become an economic exemplar.
Further details and registration process will be confirmed in early March.
NG Events kicked off their 2013 programme with a debate for parliamentarians at a ‘broadband policy breakfast’ last week in Portcullis House, Westminster.
The event, chaired by Chi Onwurah MP, explored three topics in depth guided by speakers drawn from participants in the 2012 NextGen events programme.
To maximise discussion time the speakers were each given only 3 minutes to introduce their topic and a very healthy debate ensued.
A summary report of the proceedings is now available and further information can be requested via info@groupe-intellex.com
The media, perhaps inevitably, seemed more fascinated by Beyoncé’s performance than the content of President Obama’s 2nd inaugural speech – and on a very cold day it would be surprising if many in the crowd absorbed the full flavour of his messages.
From a distance the local context is not always obvious and some commentators have noted that foreign policy did not get a mention. But what has struck home is the sense that this President can rise above the fray and understands the need for vision beyond the party politics.
Our old friend Sid is no longer around to appreciate Obama’s leadership but he would have been delighted that the american dream is still very much alive.
Read the full story in ‘Beyond Beyoncé‘
A new study jointly commissioned by INTUG (the international user group for major telecoms customers) and ECTA (European Competitive Telecoms Association) estimates that the value of a single digital market in the EU for digital communications services as €90 billion.
The need for regulators to address the issues of easier cross-border service provision to enable efficiencies for major businesses has become a significant challenge as the digital economy develops.
Major businesses may represent only 2% of all EU companies but these multi-site, multinational organisations generate 60 million jobs and account for nearly half of EU business turnover and more than half of ‘value added’.
Together with public service agencies, businesses contribute disproportionally to the revenues of major telcos and, in their remit for protecting the interests of all customers, regulators should be mindful of the market distortions that flow from this ‘indirect taxation’.
You can find the full story and a link to the INTUG-ECTA study at Bdaily – the UK’s business news network.
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