Street Works UK Conference 2020: Keynote speech from Clive Selley

Well thank you very much for that introduction. I'm here representing Openreach, the UK's nationwide full fiber builder. We aim to bring full fiber to 20 million homes by the mid to late 2020s. This is a major engineering project. The government's goal of gigabit capable networks by 2025 is the right goal. We are currently passing over 40,000 premises per week and on track to reach 4.5 million by March 2021. We need to accelerate to reach 20 million. Full fiber could boost UK productivity and generate 59 billion in GDP. The pandemic showed the importance of our network; we had no major outages. We need help from government on access to social housing and blocks of flats. The telecoms infrastructure bill is stalled. Streetworks: we are the biggest undertaker. This year we expect 350,000 works. To meet the 2025 target, we need to pass over 3 million premises per year, a 50% increase. We are working on multi-street permitting and a flexi permitting trial in Sheffield. Temporary traffic restriction orders costs are rising. We need reform. We are collaborating through streetworks UK. Full fiber will underpin the next wave of jobs and growth. Thank you.

Oh, as a whole. Perhaps the speed with which we get COVID under control. Great news about three vaccines. We've lost five members of Openreach to COVID. The population has lost 40,000. We need that conquered. Another imminent concern is Brexit: continuity of supply chain, stockpiling two months of equipment, expensive. Also people supply chain – subcontractors from EU. Third is the combination of accessing streets and buildings: way leaves into apartment blocks, across private and public land. Those are my three key concerns.

A really good question. I discussed that with Matt Warman last week. I requested that we be in the early set of people to be vaccinated, in the second tier after care homes and NHS. I made that request to the minister.

We've discussed this internally and with the company doctor. I don't think we as an employer can mandate it. The government could consider their legal position, but it's dangerous legal ground. One in a million might have an adverse reaction, giving rise to legal and human rights issues.

Yeah, I think that's a really good question. It concerns me. Openreach running this huge infrastructure build program, but others too. It's a race and a land grab. So there is this speed imperative. How do we maintain safety as the top agenda item? There isn't an easy answer. Part of the answer is you keep talking about it. Every operations board on Friday has an agenda item on safety. We review performance and initiatives. For example, we introduced a new ladder and harness system so that when our guys climb, they are harnessed and can't fall far. We have another program removing telecoms structures from high voltage electricity poles. Keep applauding when innovations are presented. For example, street guarding in high winds – we improved design. Keep applauding when someone sees a problem and calls it out.

Yeah, good question. We are 35,000 people. About 26-27,000 are field engineers, most singletons, safe. Many visit customers' homes – equipped with masks, sanitizer, wipes. For home workers, health and safety is about proper chairs, mental health. Danger of becoming detached. Zoom calls not the same as face-to-face. Commuting used to detune from work. Work-life balance is out the window. We produce materials, briefings, help managers check in, detect signs of mental stress. We made office space available for those who cannot work at home.

Skills is a huge issue. The minister at round table last week insisted we hire people losing jobs due to virus and reskill them. We've invested in new training centers for fiber skills in Newport and Crawley. Basic fiber skills can be learned in three months, but craft skills need practice. Nine months to be competent. We built open street hangers to recreate streets for training. Biggest problem now is social distancing in classrooms – we can only half fill. That's a constraint. I'd love to get vaccines for new recruits to double density in training schools and produce more skilled workers.

The supply chain of contractors is hugely important. What we would ask of you guys is hire more people, preferably UK citizens. Please invest in training. We have our own schools, but in the supply chain focus on skills building. Also teach safe working practices. As we speed up rollout, we must double down on safety.

Ofcom is a highly competent regulator. They understand the industry and technology. They sound us out regularly on barriers to full fiber deployment. For example, we work together so other companies can use our duct and pole network, minimizing street works. Our regulator is pro-investment, encouraging investment. My program is 12 billion pounds. We need assurance of a fair return, and Ofcom understands that.

Good question. VR does have a role. We are experimenting with VR headsets, especially in exchanges with head-end equipment. We are diversifying supply, and VR can teach engineers how to use each equipment type without having the equipment there. It speeds training, is readily updatable, and lowers cost. The business case looks viable now.

This was my personal initiative. I suspected we dig up the road too much. Mostly necessary, but sometimes we needn't. The in-house civils team is making a difference. They have nearly a thousand people now. Their biggest value is when they engineer around the need to dig. They avoid doing civils by finding ways not to dig. It will grow to about 1300 within a year, but won't replace third-party civils for bigger jobs.

What will determine if we make 2025 is the speed at which the government rolls out the subsidy program for rural broadband. The bag of swag from Rishi Sunak has five billion pounds for subsidizing rollout to hardest to reach premises. If government cracks on, industry responds, we can hit the target. Rural UK is the tough part. Thank you to streetworks UK and those in authority. If we work together to be slicker and quicker, we can deliver. Also thank you to the subcontract supply chain.

Will do, thank you very much. Bye.