Parliament & Internet | The Internet Service Providers Association

Parliament & Internet is an annual conference to discuss Internet policy and inform policymakers by bringing together Government, Parliamentarians, officials, business and civil society. It is a platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative policy in an open forum.

The stimulus for Parliament & Internet came from UK members of Parliament with a keen interest in the Internet who visited Washington DC between 2003 and 2006 and spoke at the US Congressional Internet Caucus. It was felt that a similar regular open dialogue was needed in the UK. The first Parliament & Internet conference was held in the Houses of Parliament in October 2006 and has become a key event each year since for those interested in discussing Internet policy.

Parliament & Internet Conference 2024

In 2024, the annual Parliament and Internet Conference will take place on Wednesday 20th March, 1.45pm - 5.30pm in the Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, London. This year, our central theme will be focusing on the objectives for UK connectivity by 2030 and how the next UK Government, regulators and industry can strategically work together over the next 5 years to achieve them.

We are delighted to announce that the Government’s Rural Connectivity Champion, Simon Fell MP, is our Parliamentary sponsor for the event, which will feature high profile keynote speakers and panellists from across industry, Government, and leading civil society organisations. Bringing together 150 senior delegates, conversations will focus on crucial policy issues with conversations focussing on promoting the sector and creating discourse to help shape the future of regulation and policy.

This event is especially important in 2024 with the General Election on the horizon, and it will create an ideal opportunity for the sector to help shape the narrative and amplify the areas they believe are crucial for policy makers and the sector to focus on over the next 5 years of governance through to 2030.

With a wide array of key focus areas this year’s event will be critical for the UK’s internet sector and we want as many members in the room to engage with policy makers of today and tomorrow.

*Please note that due to limited capacity, ISPA retains the right to limit the number of tickets to any given organisation and may revoke tickets if deemed necessary.

Parliament & Internet Conference 2023

ISPA UK’s 16th annual flagship Parliament & Internet conference took place in the Attlee Suite at the end of last month. We were delighted to welcome representatives from across industry, government, academia, and civil society to listen in and participate in an essential event at a critical time for our industry. The afternoon was full of insightful discussion and debate about the future of the UK internet sector. Our expert panels and keynote deep dove into the future of broadband, key policy developments, FTTP rollout, net neutrality, and cyber security.

The afternoon kicked off with introductory remarks by ISPA’s chair, Steve Leighton, who then introduced the first panel which this year focused on net neutrality.

On this panel we were delighted to be joined by:

Roslyn Layton, PhD, Tech Policy Lead at Strand Consult
Clive Carter, Director of Group Regulatory Affairs at BT Group
Dr Monica Horten, Policy Manager at Open Rights Group
Till Sommer, Head of Policy at ISPA UK
Matt Warman MP (Chair)

With the results of Ofcom’s review of the UK’s net neutrality regime expected in Autumn, the panel examined what the revisions and a reconceptualisation of the current regulatory regime could look like, contributing to how it can be redefined for the internet of the future. Chaired by former Broadband Minister Matt Warman MP, the panel had a spirited discussion on what an open internet could look like in the UK after its exit from the EU - and what overarching policy objectives the Government should consider when comparing it to other nations. The main conclusion from the panel was that the UK's review represents a once in a generation opportunity to change the current constricting rules on industry.

We were then joined by Baroness Neville-Jones, the former Security Minister, who delivered the cybersecurity keynote session. Some of the key takeaways from her keynote included how the UK has improved national cyber security capacity since her role in the Cameron Government and the formation of NCSC. Her discussion on cybersecurity concluded with a call for greater collaboration and information sharing between technology companies, governments, and other stakeholders.

As the country gears up for the next General Election in what is slated to be Autumn 2024, our final panel of the day held a timely discussion on the need for broadband to remain a long-term political priority, the remaining barriers faced by a highly competitive industry in the rollout of gigabit broadband, and what is next for the broadband sector.

We were thrilled to be joined by:

James Fredrickson, Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Hyperoptic
Catherine Colloms, Director of Corporate Affairs and Brand, Openreach
Gareth Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Gigaclear
Brian Potterill, Director of Competition Policy, Ofcom
Ben Lake MP (Chair)

With excellent chairing by Ben Lake MP, some of the key takeaways of this session included support for flexi-permits, a call for greater diversity in the industry, the impact of inflation, and a lively debate on Equinox 2 and mid-contract price rises.

Overall, the event was a great success, bringing together over 100 attendees, and we are incredibly thankful for the fantastic speakers who shared their insights with us. The discussions and knowledge shared will undoubtedly lead to a more informed and innovative approach to the regulation and growth of the telecoms sector in the UK. We look forward to welcoming everyone to next year’s Parliament & Internet event.

Parliament & Internet Conference – 23 March 2022

ISPA was delighted to hold the 15th Parliament & Internet conference in the Attlee Suite of Portcullis House on 23rd March 2022. The event was at full capacity and featured two excellent panel discussions on ‘Is gigabit capable broadband on track to level up the UK?’ chaired by Selaine Saxby MP and ‘Where next for ‘UK Internet?' chaired by Ben Lake MP.

An array of panellists offered their expertise on these matters including Catherine Colloms (Director Corporate Affairs and Brand at Openreach), Katie O’Donovan (Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google) and Amy Jordan (Principle Public Policy, Ofcom). Additionally, there were two great keynotes from Helen Milner OBE, Group Chief Executive at the Good Things Foundation and Stephen Bonner, Executive Director at the Information Commissioner’s Office.