In case you didn’t get a personal email from former BSG Chairman Kip Meek today, here’s what he says regarding his move to Project Canvas.
Dear Robert
As you may know, I’ve recently taken on the chairmanship of Project Canvas – this job is not really compatible with continuing as Chairman of the Broadband Stakeholder Group and so, with considerable regret, I’ve decided to step down. I wanted to drop you a line to let you know of this decision.
Since taking up the role in March 2007, I have found the work both interesting and rewarding. This has been in large measure due to working with BSG members and staff on the variety of issues that has come up over the past few years. I can say without conceit (because it was largely written before I took on the role) that the Pipe Dreams report really did set the policy agenda over the last couple of years. Since then, we’ve made progress on a number of fronts: the fibre cost model, the analysis of the economic and social value of next generation broadband, making headway on difficult issues such as rating, the use of passive infrastructure and child internet safety – all these are worthy of remark.
Perhaps the biggest difference that we’ve seen in the last three years has been the emerging political consensus that the UK’s broadband infrastructure is of real strategic importance and that its evolution requires the close attention and support of policy makers. The new government has set a new target to be best in Europe by the end of the current Parliament. Having such an ambitious goal is extremely positive, but achieving it will require continued smart thinking and well informed debate. The BSG has sought to do both over the last three years and will continue to do so going forward. The BSG’s next major publication will be a detailed piece of research on the costs and capabilities of wireless and satellite technologies and the role that they could play in delivering next generation broadband. I’m confident this will be both a timely and important input to the debate.
I’ll be standing down in September to focus on my new role. My last hurrah will be the BSG conference on the impact of net neutrality on 9 September, another hugely important issue, for consumers, communications providers and application and service providers alike. We’ve got a great line-up of speakers and I hope to see you there.
All best,
Kip
Thanks Kip and good luck getting Channel 5 on board.
