Management Toolkit

BERR launches digital-economy review

Kable

Published: 21 Oct 2008 17:46 BST

The Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has launched an analysis of the UK's digital economy.

Titled 'Digital Britain', it will focus on how to accelerate the growth of the digital and communications industries, and will be led by Stephen Carter, the minister for communications, technology and broadcasting.

His team will work on an action plan aimed at securing four key conditions: open markets; empowered and informed consumers and citizens; universal access to public-service content; and a responsive regulatory framework.

Among the priorities in each of these areas will be developing the broadband network, identifying barriers to wider investment in digital radio, encouraging a market in the trading and use of the spectrum, and evaluating the impact of digitisation on public-service broadcasting and content.

Research already carried out by government and industry regulator Ofcom will underpin the work. The report is scheduled to be published in spring 2009.