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The Digital Economy Act 2017

6 May 2017

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From: Jayne Cole CEO

Sent: Friday, April 28, 2017 4:10 PM

To: Jayne Cole CEO

Subject: The Digital Economy Act 2017

 

Dear Colleagues

The Digital Economy Bill has received Royal Assent 27/04/17

The Act will be of interest everyone as it includes the legal right to a fast broadband connection. We are aware that many of our Councils/Clerks/Councillors and their residents connections are limping along. This is regardless of the millions invested in infrastructure across the region.

I am sure we all welcome regulations that also hold providers to account. With automatic compensation when you are left without a connection and if this is not fixed in a timely way.

Below is an overview of the new provisions and at the end is a link to the Act:

The Act includes includes provisions which will:

  • give every household a legal right to request a fast broadband connection

  • give consumers and businesses better information about communication services, easier switching and automatic compensation if things go wrong

  • cut the costs for new infrastructure and simplify planning rules

  • enable stronger enforcement of direct marketing laws

  • create civil penalties for online pornographers who do not verify the age of their customers, and ISP level blocking of non-compliant sites, and;

  • help protect consumers from “bill shock” by requiring mobile network operators to offer a bill capping facility

During the passage of the Bill through Parliament, a series of useful provisions have been added, including;

  • powers to ensure that the Crown guarantee of BT pensions has the necessary flexibility to allow BT and Openreach to be separated

  • powers to tackle the problem of “bots” in the online secondary ticketing market,

  • an extension of the public lending right to cover e-books, and;

  • provision to ensure that on-demand television is accessible to people with disabilities.

http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/digitaleconomy.html 

 

Very best wishes

 

Jayne

 

Jayne Cole

Chief Executive Officer

 

Local Council Public Advisory Service
6 Aragon Court

Clare

Suffolk

CO10 8FA

Tel: 01787 829576
TMob: 07443009607

www.lcpas.co.uk