Consultation on network resilience – Carmichael urges islanders to give views
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today called on islanders to give their views to an Ofcom consultation on telecommunications resilience, ahead of the deadline on 1st March. Ofcom are proposing to update existing resilience guidance to provide greater clarity on how providers of public electronic communications networks and services can comply with their security duties under a new framework for security and resilience that came into force in October 2022.
This consultation also includes a separate call for input on power backup for mobile radio access networks (RAN). These networks are dependent on electrical power to function, and outages can cause significant and extensive service disruption for customers.
Mr Carmichael previously led a debate on the planned shutdown of the copper wire telecommunications network at the end of last year, raising concerns about the impact on isles resilience during storms and other disruption. The MP highlighted a range of concerns raised by constituents about the changes, and the impact on vulnerable people and overall resilience.
In his response, the minister stated that the government have paused forced migrations from the old network, that they have contacted Ofcom to review arrangements, and cited the Ofcom consultation as a way for people to raise concerns.
Mr Carmichael said:
“I would urge anyone with an interest in the resilience of telecommunications in the isles to take part in the consultation before it ends. More than most our communities have a stake in keeping these systems working and reliable.
“There are serious concerns about the impact of the copper wire switchover, as well as in the future of mobile connections and other emergency networks. This cannot be left to the market alone. The regulator and the government must take a strong hand to ensure fairness and security.
“The flurry of storms we have had at the start of this year are a reminder that disruption can be unexpected both in its timing and its impact. I do not want us to discover too late that the resilience we expect in our communications is no longer the resilience that we get.”