Despite the current challenges, the UK’s digital infrastructure and the telecommunications industry are on the brink of substantial growth and advancement. This promising outlook not only presents exciting opportunities for all stakeholders but also ignites hope and optimism for the future.

These issues include: 

• Lack of standardisation: The absence of a uniform standard for network-build construction is a critical issue that urgently needs to be addressed. It results in inconsistent installation quality and directly impacts the security of the infrastructure. However, the industry is actively working towards a solution to ensure security.
• Skills gap: The industry faces the shared challenge of a shortage of adequately trained and skilled operatives, which leads to poor-quality installations. The industry must collaborate to address this issue.
• Lack of approved installer schemes to support the rollout of IT and Telecommunications infrastructure.
• Inadequate training: Many installers lack the knowledge and expertise to build high-quality fibre optic networks, leading to substandard work.
• Financial burden on operators: Poor-quality installations often result in excessive bills for network operators. These additional costs can strain operators’ financial resources and hinder their ability to invest in other areas, which impedes industry growth.
• Operational inefficiencies: Poorly constructed networks prevent operators from going live promptly when build partners return to the network.
• Lack of industry support: Network operators and installers have been in dire need of adequate support from trade organisations for years, underscoring the situation’s urgency.
• Absence of quality assurance: There is no widely accepted system for auditing and ensuring the quality of installations across the industry.
• Insufficient professional recognition: The industry lacks a comprehensive scheme for professional recognition and certification of skilled workers. Addressing these industry-wide issues requires a concerted effort and better collaboration among manufacturers, network operators, installers, and training providers. Your involvement is crucial and indispensable, making you an integral part of the industry’s future. Together, we can overcome these challenges and pave the way for a thriving industry.
• Reputation damage: The prevalence of poorly trained operatives and substandard work damages the industry’s reputation and hinders its growth.