Digital Britain? Not without thinking about the needs of the digital natives

By Marty Carroll

The interim Digital Britain report was published last week and has, judging by the noises coming from the blogosphere, been met with something less than fanfare from the digital community.

The reason for all of the consternation: the report seems to be written with the interests of the old slow moving institutions of the past in mind who find themselves unable to cope with the new economics of the digital age. The prevailing hegemony will thwart real innovation in digital Britain unless the final version of the report, due out in June, recognises the seismic shifts in the consumer landscape.

Despite its detail (86 pages long) the interim report neglects to focus on the needs of the future UK consumer adequately. Yes there’s speculation about consumer needs and wants, but very little in the way of initiatives designed around the rapidly shifting demands of the marketplace. Understanding how people want to consume digital content will be a decisive factor if Britain is to aspire to be a leading digital economy.

As an example, where is the sense in investing in distribution networks for DAB radio when the likes of LastFM and Spotify clearly demonstrate that future radio will be delivered over the internet?
The Government appears intent on investing heavily in an infrastructure that consumers simply don’t want. I’m not saying that DAB is not useful today - I have a DAB radio myself and they are undeniably moronically easy to use – but that it is being quickly superseded by IP.

Technological progress will continue at breakneck speed and it’s difficult to presuppose what the landscape will be like in even a few years from now. But surely it would be wise of the Government to consider the consumer experiences they are looking to enable through these digital capabilities.