According to the latest UK Internet Access Report from the Office of National Statistics those students with home broadband access are likely to do better in their GCSEs.

This is not really surprising. Broadband provides students with access to a wealth of resources that previously were simply unavailable. It can aid independent learning by encouraging independent research and discovery, and increase collaboration not just within schools, but across schools, countries and continents. At its most effective, it can completely transform the learning experience.

In 2003 the BSG published a report highlighting the opportunities that broadband presented to the education sector in the UK, and the barriers against wider take-up and use within the education system. It is good to see that broadband is having an effect, and we hope that this will continue as schools and teachers continue to understand how broadband can be utilised to enhance their students’ experiences.

There is still a long way to go, however. There is a big difference between those that do make effective use of broadband, and those that don’t, and particularly between students with access and students without. Progress is continuing in the right direction, with the Home Access To Technology programme within DCSF, and it is important that all concerned continue to work towards realising the full benefits that broadband access can offer education in the UK.

“If our children were leaving the house, or going to a swimming pool or going to play in the street, we would take all the care possible about their safety - is there proper policing, is there proper safety? When a child goes on to the computer and on to the internet or on to a video game we should be thinking in the same way.”

This was the response from the Prime Minister to the review published last week by psychologist Tanya Byron, setting out recommendations to ensure that children and young people are protected from inappropriate and harmful material on the internet and in video games.

The publication of this landmark review reflects a growing policy emphasis on how web 2.0 should be effectively regulated.

Whilst no one would disagree with the importance of ensuring child protection on the web and on video games, there is a vocal concern from industry that regulation should not inhibit innovation. The new media industry is one of the UK’s most vibrant and is constantly developing new services – the principal users of which are, in many cases, children and young people.

Byron’s report is a considered and ambitious response to this important issue. Whilst many of last week’s headlines focused on her recommendation to extend the range of age classification for video games, a closer read of the 200+ page report (for those of you with the stamina) also reveals an important proposal on how regulation of web 2.0 should be driven forward.

Her solution to this quandary is the establishment of a UK Council on Child Internet Safety to develop a child internet safety strategy, that will cover both illegal and legal (though potentially harmful or inappropriate) activity.

Built on the structure of the existing Home Secretary’s Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet, the Council will be co-chaired by the Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, involve other relevant government departments and be staffed by a cross-departmental secretariat. It will report directly to the Prime Minister.

The Council will also be supported by an expert advisory group and research sub-group and involve industry through working groups to deliver specific initiatives such as codes of practice.

Byron also strongly recommends that mechanisms should be established by the Council to effectively involve parents, children and young people.

At first glance, this seems like an eminently sensible solution. It draws the relevant stakeholders together and an over-arching strategy would arguably reduce confusion about the array of policy developments individual departments are currently pursuing in this area.

However, it is an ambitious task, and Byron’s recommended deadline of Spring 2009 for both the establishment of the Council and publication of the strategy is a challenging timescale.

It remains unclear at present who will drive forward the development of the strategy, and what regulatory issues it will cover. Elsewhere in her report, Byron throws down a gauntlet to industry to develop codes of practice on areas such as user generated content, improving access to parental control software and safe search features, and better regulation of online advertising.

This builds on the vast array of work the industry has already taken to set common standards on issues that are important to their consumer. One example of which is the Good Practice Principles on Audiovisual Content, which were facilitated by the Broadband Stakeholder group (www.audiovisualcontent.org).

However, looking forward, could further regulatory proposals emerge under the strategy as a whole? Would this regulation be developed under a self or co regulatory model? And who will police and enforce these standards?

It has to be recognised that Byron has done an admiral job in pulling a wide array of issues together in her review. When it comes down to a more detailed look at how child internet safety will be regulated, however, there is still a very long road to travel.

By Pamela Learmonth, Policy Manager, BSG

In a previous post I explored what the topics of discussion would be at the government’s Convergence Think Tank, and suggested that next generation access (NGA) would probably be a key secondary issue to public service broadcasting (PSB).

At the seminar yesterday, NGA was indeed discussed. It was interesting to see, particularly for someone fairly new to the debate, the level of interest and desire for NGA among the broadcasting world.

This isn’t surprising, of course, as it opens up a lot of avenues for them, but I was struck by one presenter’s firm conclusion that the PSB debate was the wrong focus for the future of the industry, and that superfast broadband was the most important next step. His view wasn’t necessarily shared by all in the room, but he wasn’t the only presenter to mention the importance of NGA.

Broadcasters aren’t the only industry who see benefit in NGA, and are clamouring for greater bandwidth. A key issue, though, is how will it be paid for. There is demand from industries and consumers, but is there a willingness to pay? This is a big question, and currently there is little hard evidence for investors to go on that suggest a return for their money would be likely.

The BSG’s ongoing research into the economic and social value of NGA has drawn on emerging evidence from the US, where Verizon have subscribers paying a premium for faster access over fibre. But until more is known about consumer willingness to pay, the business case for NGA will be difficult to make.

Peter Shearman, Policy Manager, BSG

The 9pm watershed has long been the bastion of parental control when viewing content: if it was on after the watershed, then it probably wasn’t suitable for younger viewers (or those with a nervous or squeamish disposition, or the easily offended).

In a converged world, however, content provision is no longer just the preserve of television. A range of suppliers now provides content over the Internet, and on mobile phones. Further, this content is often on-demand (as are new TV services), being viewable at all times of the day.

So, how to identify what is appropriate content to view? If it is no longer as simple as a watershed, information about the content needs to be provided to viewers so that they can make an informed choice. This is particularly important for protecting children from potentially harmful content.

This is why the BSG coordinated the production of Good Practice Principles for the provision of information about commercially created content. The work drew on all existing practices to bring together the underlying principles.

The launch of these principles this week showed the commitment of the industry to ensuring information about content is appropriately provided. Good content information will help consumers, particularly parents, make informed choices for themselves and their families.

The BSG will review the impact and effectiveness of the principles in 2009. For more information regarding the principles, see www.audiovisualcontent.org

Peter Shearman, Policy Manager, BSG

The government’s new Convergence Think Tank (CTT) is due to have its first meeting in just over a fortnight. With such a wide brief in an ever-charging area there will be a variety of issues for it to address, and no shortage of voices striving to be heard.

Addressing the Oxford Media Convention last Thursday, Secretary of State James Purnell outlined one of the key issues that the CTT will look at: the future of public service broadcasting (PSB). It is a safe bet that this will be at or near the top of the agenda, as this is an area of importance for DCMS, and also for the viewing public and the broadcasting industry. PSB’s evolution in a converged world is a core issue, and it is important that this debate takes place.

But what else aside from PSB will be on the think tank’s agenda? Also speaking at the Convention was Robin Foster, a member of the CTT’s steering group which is advising on the agenda. Foster spoke of the importance of next generation access (NGA), and said that he felt the issue should be one of the key items on the group’s agenda.

NGA, if and when the investment occurs in the UK, could have a profound impact on the communications market in the UK. The development or not of NGA, for example, could influence the future evolution of broadcasting in general, and PSB in particular. It will be interesting to see how this issue is addressed by the CTT, and to what extent it contributes to the growing debate around NGA.

Peter Shearman, Policy Manager, BSG