Investment in broadband infrastructure key for robust British economy and future competitiveness
May 03, 2012

• New report from London School of Economics, sponsored by Convergys, identifies economic and societal benefits of broadband investment
• Smart technology solutions to play a major role in enhancing the value of superfast broadband

(Cambridge, UK; May 3rd, 2012) - Smart solutions that enable innovative, policy driven pricing plans will drive new revenues that can boost the value of superfast broadband for operators as the UK looks to maintain a competitive edge in Europe. This is one important finding from a new research paper entitled "Costs and Benefits of Superfast Broadband in the UK," commissioned by Convergys Smart Revenue Solutions and undertaken by the London School of Economics (LSE), which also identifies a £1.1billion shortfall in infrastructure funding.

With the UK Government targeting 100% fast broadband coverage and 90% superfast broadband coverage across the UK by 2015, the paper identifies a problematic gap in funding of at least £1.1billion to support deployment. Though private and public sources have already pledged a total funding of £1.3billion, this is significantly less, for example, than the anticipated revenue from the forthcoming digital dividend spectrum auction (see notes to editors).

The paper provides an analysis of the costs, revenues, and economic and societal benefits of 'superfast' broadband deployment in the UK. While broadband offers some clear socio-economic benefits, the paper also identifies a number of stumbling blocks that may be encountered. These include funding, education in 'e-skills', and innovation within the telecoms sector.

"This paper shows that serious investment in broadband can deliver serious social and economic benefits for the UK," said Morag Lucey, Global SVP Marketing, Convergys Information Management. "Yet, the current funding gap of £1.1billion means that we're likely to remain uncompetitive in Europe, let alone the rest of the world, until we find some way of bridging this infrastructure shortfall. We believe operators should not be pressurized to fulfill this gap, as they already face tough market conditions. Yet we see smart solutions taking some pressure off operators; with a more advanced broadband infrastructure, smart solutions can help boost revenues as operators evolve to next-generation solutions in the future."

The paper suggests that innovation in telecommunications can generate significant savings and revenue increases. These financial returns can help stimulate the industry and provide a better economic outlook, if the funding gap identified for superfast broadband is plugged and Government targets met.

Core to this innovation is a focus on smart solutions and the role they can play in increasing the take-up of broadband services, greater usage and additional revenues. 'Smart solutions', such as billing, customer care and real time charging and policy solutions, can for example, give service providers unprecedented insights into customer behavior. These insights allow providers to tailor service offerings that improve the customer experience in line with their demands and pricing expectations, ultimately generating greater revenue and reducing 'churn'.

"Our new paper shows that there is much the UK can gain from deploying fast broadband, but there is much still to be done to make it a reality," said Dr. Paolo Dini, Senior Research Fellow, London School of Economics. "Investment is clearly one challenge that needs to be overcome, but so too is encouraging further use of broadband and take-up among customers. The study argues that smart solutions will help provide the insights that operators need to improve service offerings that drive greater use, not to mention the commensurate cost increases and efficiencies that are also generated."

The full paper and its shorter "in brief" summary are available from www.convergys.com/smartrevenue/lse

Convergys develops and implements Smart Revenue Solutions for the utility, retail energy, telecoms, cable, satellite, and broadband markets. These solutions can help providers to Solve for today. Evolve for tomorrow.SM Convergys' Solve and Evolve approach enables providers to have the tools to transform to the changing world. Convergys calls it SmartLifeSM; transforming everyday touch points and transactions into seamless, positive, loyalty-building customer experiences.

Convergys is holding an operator-only event at Management World to discuss the findings of the report on Monday, May 21. To register your interest in attending, please click here.

Notes to editors

Broadband speed definitions: We follow Ofcom by taking 'superfast broadband' to have downlink speeds greater than 24 Mb/s. We also take 'basic broadband' to have downlink speeds less than 2 Mb/s and 'fast broadband' to have downlink speeds between 2 Mb/s and 24 Mb/s.

Spectrum auction: Evidence from other countries suggests that the government revenue in the UK would be between £1.1 billion and £2.5 billion for the 800 MHz frequency band.

About Convergys

Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) is a global leader in customer management.  We provide solutions that drive more value from the relationships our clients have with their customers.  Convergys turns these everyday interactions into a source of profit and strategic advantage for our clients.

For more than 30 years, our unique combination of domain expertise, operational excellence, and innovative technologies has delivered process improvement and actionable business insight to marquee clients all over the world.

Convergys has approximately 77,000 employees in 69 customer contact centers and other facilities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, and our global headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.  For more information, visit www.convergys.com

(Convergys and the Convergys logo are registered trademarks of Convergys Corporation.)

Convergys Smart Revenue Solutions

Convergys Smart Revenue Solutions is at the forefront of enabling global businesses to intelligently monetize their services, driving revenue and profits through innovative billing, customer care, and real time charging and policy solutions. Convergys solves today's business challenges and positions providers to evolve to take on future opportunities. Convergys's customer-focused approach delivers straight-forward, best-of-breed technology from its Smart Suite, which enhances the customer experience.