DLA has advised the Department for Trade and Industry (“DTI”) on a project in excess of £1 billion of Government spend on broadband services, a step towards being the most competitive and extensive broadband network in G7.
Last summer Stephen Timms, the e-commerce minister, announced the Broadband Aggregation Project (“BAP”). The primary aim of the project is to achieve value for money for the public sector by purchasing broadband services for the sector on an aggregated basis. Demand for Broadband is high in the public sector to improve IT services but is currently being purchased on an individual basis.
The government also expects to see an increase in broadband availability for the private sector, as a consequence of the improvements which will be made to the broadband network.
Public sector demand for broadband services will be collated and sourced by nine regional aggregation bodies and a national aggregation body on a regional and national basis, as appropriate. These bodies have already been working closely with the NHS to procure the connectivity for the rollout of their new N3 network and also with Department for Education and Skills, who will ensure broadband into all schools by 2006.
This project will see networks being extended and coverage increased across the whole country, resulting in extensive availability including some areas which may not have previously been in a broadband enabled area.
DLA advised the BAP team on the legal and governance structures of the nine regional bodies and the national body, each being a Limited Liability Partnership, and on their constitution and incorporation.
DLA also worked in partnership with the BAP team in developing a framework agreement for sourcing broadband services and on the procurement of suppliers for broadband services to the public sector. Those suppliers awarded contracts are listed below.
DLA partners Peter Michau and Victoria Bright are leading the team advising the DTI.
Victoria Bright said:
“We are proud to have been involved in such an innovative, complex and challenging project, which will deliver enormous value to the public and go a long way towards achieving extensive broadband coverage throughout Britain.”
The 17 contracts have been awarded to:
BT
Cable&Wireless
Colt
Easynet
Energis
Equinox
Kingston Communications
Logicalis
MLL
Neos Networks (SSET)Networks by Wireless
NTL
Research Machines
Synetrix
Telewest Communications
Thus
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