Source: The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/04/04/uk-5g-faces-74bn-delay-amid-landlord-disputes/

By Ben Gartside and Matthew Field, 4 April 2021

The economy will take a hit of £7.4bn due to the slow rollout of 5G if a dispute between landlords and telecoms companies continues to hold back the technology.

Economists have warned reforms that aimed to reduce the rents telecoms operators pay to landlords for deploying new equipment have held up the spread of faster mobile phone signals across Britain.

The 2017 reforms, under the Electronic Communications Code, have instead led to lengthy legal battles as operators attempt to push down rents, while being opposed by uncooperative landowners.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said the government should adopt alternative rules to rebalance how much site owners receive.

The Government is currently consulting on changes which the CEBR argue would cost landowners £50m per year and set back GDP by billions as 5G installations become mired in disputes.

Protect & Connect, a campaign group supporting landlords which has championed the CEBR report, said it provided evidence the government should change its approach.

Anna Turley, Chair of Protect & Connect said: “The fastest way to achieve the ambition of a digitally connected UK is to ensure a fair deal for site owners, or there is no incentive for anyone to host a site.

“Unfortunately the 2017 reforms have not achieved what they set out to do. Instead of accelerating the roll-out of broadband, something we all want to see, it is clear that the changes have actually hindered it, as operators have sought to maximise the reductions through legal action.”

However, the report was disputed by the Speed Up Britain campaign, which is supported by telecoms companies. The campaign has called on the government to close legal loopholes and make it easier for mobile companies to access and upgrade sites without lengthy negotiations and legal costs spiralling into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

A spokesman for the Speed Up Britain campaign said: “We agree on the need for Code reform but we believe it should be focused on enabling the existing law to work as the Government intended.

“The current approach brings telecoms infrastructure more into line with other essential services such as the utilities, which is critical if we’re to speed up the roll out of 5G, save consumers significant extra cost, and help the economy to recover from the impact of the pandemic.”

Read more at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/04/04/uk-5g-faces-74bn-delay-amid-landlord-disputes/

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Source: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/5g/369541-telecoms-companies-have-the-right-to-build-a-5g-tower-in-your-yard-minister.html

An electronic communications network service licensee has the right to enter upon any land to construct electronic communications networks and facilities.

This was feedback from Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams who was answering a question in Parliament from the ACDP’s Wayne Maxim Thring.

Thring questioned Ndabeni-Abrahams on a new policy that seeks to give permission to allow mobile networks to build cell phone infrastructure, such as 5G towers, on private property.

He asked whether she has given “due consideration to health and environmental impact assessments that must be conducted for a policy that seeks to encroach on the property rights of South African citizens”.

Ndabeni-Abrahams responded, saying the Electronic Communications Act, 2005 allows telecoms providers to enter upon any land to construct electronic communications networks and facilities.

She added that a licensee must, when constructing networks, have due regard to applicable law and the environmental policy of the Republic.

Commenting on the new policy was aligned with the National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper and provides that a licensee must provide environmental and health information to the property owner in advance.

“The property owner or a licensee may, where the dispute has a significant impact on the environment, refer any difference or disagreement to relevant authorities,” she said.

“The Constitutional Court, in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and Link Africa case, confirmed the constitutionality of section 22 of the Act that the proposed policy is based on.”

New 5G policy next year

Ndabeni-Abrahams said they published the proposed policy and policy direction on the rapid deployment of electronic communications networks and facilities for comment on 22 July 2020.

She highlighted that this rapid deployment policy and policy direction, however, is not a 5G policy.

“The country’s 5G policy will be developed in 2021, and will also follow a public consultation process first,” Ndabeni-Abrahams said.

Commenting on the health and environmental impact of 5G, she said the South African government relies on studies conducted by the likes of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Health Organization (WHO) and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

Read more at: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/5g/369541-telecoms-companies-have-the-right-to-build-a-5g-tower-in-your-yard-minister.html

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Cyber-related incidents resulting in damage to physical property have the potential to become an issue as big as data theft or ransomware in the next few years.

By Camilla Walker | September 23, 2020

As cyber exposures continue to evolve, property underwriters (along with those in other traditional lines of insurance) are increasingly unwilling to include coverage for physical damage caused by a cyber attack. Growing regulatory intolerance of so-called ‘silent cyber,’ led by action taken by the U.K.’s Prudential Regulation Authority and Lloyd’s of London, means all Lloyd’s insurers must soon either explicitly include or exclude both malicious and non-malicious cyber cover. With the market hardening, the majority of product lines are opting for the latter, leaving many insureds who had previously relied on cyber cover being included in their all-risks policies, with a significant gap in coverage.

Other regulators are expected to follow suit with rating agency Fitch already announcing it would begin incorporating the management of non-affirmative cyber risk within its ratings. Subsequently, the extent of this coverage gap is expected to widen within the coming years.

The growth of IoT means more opportunities for hackers

The increased speed and capacity of 5G will play an important role in the growth of IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, many of which are being developed for use in smart buildings and operational environments. Unfortunately, in the race to rapidly develop smart devices, security and public safety can often be an afterthought. According to a report by McKinsey, the worldwide number of IoT-connected devices is projected to increase to 43 billion by 2023 —  almost triple the number in 2018. As systems move away from secure, centralized hardware-based networks, the potential touchpoints for cybercriminals increases exponentially whilst the scope of what needs to be protected and monitored by security functions are also extended.

Read more at: https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2020/09/23/growth-in-5g-and-iot-presents-new-cyber-threats/?slreturn=20200824112831

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