ONS Local has been established by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to support evidence-based decision-making at the local level. We aim to host insightful events that connect our users with exciting developments happening in subnational statistics and analysis at the ONS and across other organisations. The North of Tyne Combined Authority has been working with the ONS Data Campus to develop a dashboard that ensures issues of social and economic isolation are considered in local approaches to connectivity programmes such as Project Gigabit. We’ll share the process we’ve been through to develop a common connectivity standard, embed different indicators, and bring the product to life. We’ll also discuss how the tool is being used, and what our plans are for future development. This event is open to all, however we anticipate it will be of most interest to anyone working with data and statistics in a local government setting. If you have any questions, please contact ons.local@ons.gov.uk.

1. Embedding Inclusivity in
Broadband Deployment
within North of Tyne
ONS Local, March 2023

2. Background to NTCA
• A Mayoral Combined Authority…covering city,
coast and countryside from the rive Tyne to
Borders.
• An area with historically high unemployment,
low productivity and poor health, but an array
of assets that underpin our future economic
opportunities.
• 30 year, £600m devo deal, with powers over
skills, housing, economic growth & transport
(shared with wider NE).
• Relatively small team working through
partnership to deliver change in the region.

3. Our Corporate Plan

4. Creating a more digitally connected North of Tyne
• Full Digital Infrastructure Programme
and Digital Connectivity Vision
• £12m Local Full Fibre Network
Programme - connecting 2000+ homes
in rural Northumberland
• DCMS Digital Connectivity Innovation
Accelerator Pilot – unlocking greater
digital connectivity through public
assets.
• £7m 5G and Future Connectivity
Programme – developing an eco-
system and business propositions
centred around connectivity.

5. Driving Inclusivity in Broadband Deployment
• The Business Problem: the broadband
market is incentivized by greater
customer reach and not necessarily by
inclusive and/ or economic
development.
• Aim: to help the CA and partners to
incorporate issues of inclusion in the
deployment of future broadband.
• Solution: Develop a shared
understanding of the current demand
for broadband and the relationship with
economic indicators.

6. Our Work with ONS Data Science Campus
• Stage 1: Agree Broadband Availability
Indicators
• Stage 2: Agree Compound Deprivation
Metrics
• Stage 3: Iterative approach to adding
value and identifying additional metrics
which would help local decision making:
proximity to fibre
• Stage 4: Handover into service with skills
to update the data sets as circumstances
evolve.
http://ntcabroadband.azurewebsites.net/

7. Next steps
1. Increase visibility and embed in decision making by linking to strategy and
commissioning.
2. Maintain indicators and consider adding indicators to incorporate evolving
policy context for inclusivity.
3. Working on wider approaches to geo-spatial analysis with ONS Data Science
Campus.

8. Alex.black@northoftyne-ca.gov.uk
http://ntcabroadband.azurewebsites.net/