Switching delivery of the UK’s main TV service from aerials to broadband should be part of a wider national effort to boost digital participation according to new report backed by major broadcasters, banks, businesses and social groups.
Government ministers are currently considering broadcaster-backed proposals to shut down Freeview in 2034, with free channels such as BBC One and ITV instead accessed over broadband using a compatible set top box, smart TV or streaming device.
The UK already has multiple services which deliver channels over broadband (also known as IP Television or IPTV), including subscription services from BT, Sky and Virgin Media plus Freely which was built by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 as a possible Freeview replacement.
Some politicians, advocacy groups and campaigners have expressed concern that switching to IPTV for basic TV channels risks leaving behind people who have low digital skills while also increasing bills for households who’ve so far had little need for broadband.
These sentiments also apply to the wider online shift of commercial and public services such as healthcare, banking, utilities and retail.
Today’s report by the Connection Project calls for a nationwide effort to ensure these various digital transitions are co-ordinated and managed rather than allowed to drift to their own separate conclusions.
It states that managed transitions acknowledge the need for change and “build support in from the start” to help ensure “more people can make the move with confidence.”
Addressing calls for some transitions to be deferred, such as suggestions that the switch to IPTV be put back by at least a decade, it questions “whether delay will make life better for people who are already finding digital services hard to navigate, or simply harder.”
The report defines success as “making sure everyone can manage their money, watch what they love and reach essential services” even if they need help from friends or family to initially set up their TV or access services online.
Turning this into reality will require joint action by government, businesses, regulators and civil society to ensure “transitions that have shared dependencies” are co-ordinated and planned with “clear transition checkpoints and public reporting” to ensure progress and accountability.
Additionally, the report calls on government to ensure the affordability of broadband, agree a shared national ambition for high digital participation, and back the delivery of broadband to the hardest-to-reach households.
Natalie Ceeney CBE, Chair of The Connection Project, said: “Technology has the power to improve millions of lives, but only if people are able to participate confidently in the digital society we’re creating.
“The UK has a rare opportunity to get this right. By bringing together government, industry and civil society behind a shared plan, we can ensure digital change leaves people feeling more connected, more capable and better off, not left behind.”