Political Monitor 31/01/2020

31 January 2020

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Cyber Security

Government make decision on access for “high risk vendors”

The Government published their decision on the future access of Huawei to the 5G and full fibre networks allowing the vendor to supply to non-core parts of the network.
The plans, announced here, and in a Written Ministerial Statement, conclude the DCMS’ Telecoms Supply Chain Review, and outline restrictions on “high risk vendors”, including:

• excluded from “sensitive ‘core’ parts of 5G and gigabit-capable networks”
• excluded from all “safety related and safety critical networks” in Critical National Infrastructure.
• excluded from sensitive geographic locations, such as nuclear sites and military bases.
• have a 35% cap on access to non-sensitive (access/periphery) parts of the network. This will be kept under review.

The NCSC has published guidance to operators, and the plans will be put into legislation “at the earliest opportunity”.
The Government has also announced it will develop a strategy to “diversify the supply chain” and attract established vendors who are not present in the UK, as well as promoting open, interoperable standards to reduce barriers to entry for new companies.

Matt Warman speaks on Government cyber agenda and Cyber Sectoral Analysis

In a speech at the SINET Global Cybersecurity Innovation Summit, Digital Minister, Matt Warman launched the Government’s cyber sectoral analysis and outlined what his department is doing across the cyber security sector. The report shows a 44% growth in the number of cyber security firms in the UK since 2017 and £3.7bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) of the sector across the last two years.
He also noted that almost three quarters of the UK’s cyber security workforce is in London and the South East and the need for more opportunities in the regions. He highlighted several Government programmes to address this including the Cyber Academic Start-Up Programme (Cyber ASAP), HutZero, Cyber101, and the UK Cyber Security Council which will be set up by March next year

Ofcom

Ofcom announce outcome of consultation on Openreach trials

Ofcom has made changes to their regulations with the purpose of helping broadband companies upgrade customers to faster broadband more efficiently, and support Openreach’s trials in Salisbury and Mildenhall.
Ofcom announced that Openreach has requested changes to existing regulation to facilitate the Mildenhall and Salisbury trials to support the delivery of telephone services using technology. In response to this request, Ofcom has decided that:

• In order to facilitate the Salisbury trial, Ofcom will limit the application of their current rules which require Openreach to provide wholesale access to standard and superfast broadband on its copper network.
• In Salisbury, Openreach will no longer be required to provide new copper services when customers move house, change service or switch provider and instead will be able to offer broadband over its fibre network only. This will take place from 1^st December 2020.
• Openreach will be allowed to vary its charge to encourage participation in the Salisbury and Mildenhall trials (from 3^rd February to 4^th May 2021) and limit the application of three of the rules in the trial areas:

• Openreach will waive selected wholesale connection charges for migration from legacy to replacement services.
• Maintain wholesale rental charges at the legacy service rate for one year after migration.
• Waive certain ancillary charges associated with migration.

These amendments will apply only to certain charges offered by Openreach for the Salisbury and Mildenhall trials and for a limited time. The rules will continue to apply in full elsewhere in the UK.
Additionally, Ofcom also announced that Openreach has developed a new installation process, through a consultation with its wholesale customers, that will allow providers to upgrade their standard broadband customers to superfast broadband products in batches
Ofcom have decided to:

• Agree to Openreach’s request that orders completed using Openreach’s ‘Bulk Grouping provision capability’ would be exempt from certain quality of service regulation requirements for the remainder of the 2018-2021 review period.
• Monitor Openreach’s service performance, using information from Openreach about orders using this process. Ofcom remain open to imposing additional standards on these orders in the future if they consider it appropriate.

Other

Select Committee chairs elected for new Parliamentary term

This week MPs voted to elect the chairs of Select Committees who will lead inquiries in the coming Parliament. The full committees will now be selected by their parties, and inquiries announced in due course. The most relevant for ISPA include:
DCMS Committee (Con) – Julian Knight MP beat former chair, Damian Collins by just 9 votes to become chair. In a statement following his election he set out his priorities for the committee:

• Broadband: introduce “quarterly hearings with CEO and senior executives from Openreach and other providers” to hold them to account when they “fail to deliver the up-to-date infrastructure our towns and rural communities need” – this is based on the hearings done by the Treasury Committee with banks after the financial crisis
• Online Harms: picking up on much of the work done on social media and fake news in the previous Parliament.
• BBC reform

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Con) – Neil Parish MP was re-elected, who ran an inquiry on rural broadband in 2019.

Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (Lab) – Rachel Reeves MP was re-elected unopposed

Science & Tech Committee (Con) – Greg Clark MP, the former Business Secretary and Science Minister was elected chair.

Home Affairs (Lab) – Yvette Cooper MP was re-elected chair unopposed.

Foreign Affairs (Con) – Tom Tugendhat MP was re-elected chair, and has made a number of vocal interventions on the Huawei debate.

Treasury Committee (Con) – Mel Stride MP was re-elected chair, following Nicky Morgan’s elevation to cabinet (and subsequently the Lords) in late 2019. Under Morgan the Committee ran an inquiry on the impact of business rates on businesses.

Migration Advisory Committee report on future immigration system

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) have published their report into the Australian-style points-based immigration system they were commissioned to complete in September as well as the review of the £30,000 salary threshold. The report found that a Points Based system would reduce levels of immigration and UK GDP. The main recommendations in the report include:

Salary thresholds

• The general threshold should be set at the 25th percentile of the full-time annual earnings distribution for all Tier 2 (General) eligible occupations – this would reduce the salary threshold to £25,600
• Simplify calculation of new entrants rate to 70% of experienced worker rate and widen definition of new entrant to those working towards professional qualifications – also extend this to be applicable for 5 years instead of 3.
• Do not recommend pro-rating salary thresholds for part-time work

New Immigration Systems

• Recommend the Tier 2 (general) route for those with a job offer remains largely the same.
• This would maintain a skills-based eligibility and salary threshold requirement but would not be tradeable points.
• This would apply to both EEA and non-EEA citizens and to be expanded to medium-skill jobs with the cap and Resident Labour Market Test abolished and a simplified process introduced.
• The MAC do not recommend introducing any geographical variation at this time, but think targeted visas for remote areas of the UK should be piloted
• For Tier 1 (exceptional talent) route, the MAC recommend to reform this as the current skills bar is too high.
• They recommend making this a tradeable points-based system giving weight to language skills, priority skills areas (e.g. STEM) and qualifications and have an annual cap

The MAC note that to properly set the weighting for the PBS more data is needed and urges the Government to commission studies into this.

MAC have also written to the Home Secretary on their plans for the MAC in the coming year and the Chair of the MAC, Prof Alan Manning has extended his term at the lead of the committee to the end of February to respond to questions on the report, but has not been reappointed as chair with the Government instead seeking a replacement.

ISPA Events

Parliament and Internet Conference – 27^th February 2020

Now in its 14th year, the all-day Conference will once again bring together over 200 senior representatives from Government, parliament, academia, and industry to discuss the most pressing policy issues facing the Internet.

The event is hosted by Vicky Ford MP on Thursday 27th February at Portcullis House in London from 9am-5pm.

The conference includes various keynote speeches and three panel sessions:

• An update from Digital and Broadband Minister, Matt Warman MP
• Working together to build and deliver world class communications infrastructure with Openreach
• Regulating the digital world of the future with Sky
• Securing networks and adapting to emerging cyber threats with Raytheon

Tickets are by invitation only, if you would like to attend, please contact team@parliamentandinternet.org.uk .To find out more about the event, please visit http://parliamentandinternet.org.uk/

Registration for the 2020 ISPA Awards closes on 31st January

The prestigious ISPA Awards represent and reward the breadth of the UK ISP sector and winners are determined over a rigorous six-month process that includes technical testing and deliberation by an expert judging panel. The ISPAs are a widely recognised awards throughout the industry, a nominations as a finalist or winner is a fantastic way to promote your company and reward your hard work!

The ISPA Awards are free to enter and open to all providers of internet services. To enter, companies must register with thinkbroadband here by 31st January 2020. Companies must then submit written entry forms by 27th March 2020, with ISPs and hosting entrants undergoing technical testing between 1st February and 31st March 2020.
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