The UK’s telecommunications sector ranks as one of the most advanced in the world, employing over 250,000 people in 7,800 companies, attracting 23% of Europe’s inward investment in telecommunications. A large and sophisticated home market, world-class R&D and skills base, and supportive government policies have attracted most of the world’s major service providers, operators and manufacturers – including eight of the top ten.

The UK is a global leader in the production of fibre-optic systems and components, conducts 40 per cent of Europe’s chip design, and is pioneering new communications technologies. Recognising the UK’s competitiveness in this sector, the Cambridge-MIT Institute brought together a unique community of pioneering academic researchers, industrialists and high-level policy makers to research, map and shape the future of the communications industry. In 2006, the group spun out as a not-for-profit limited company - the Communications Research Network – and announced its first two Founder Members, BT and Fujitsu.

Clarity in a Converging World

The Communications Research Network (CRN) convenes diverse groups to address specific challenges and opportunities facing the communications industry and conducts leading-edge research into the impact of emerging communications technologies. Central to the work of the CRN are their working groups – where academic researchers and technologists from member organisations collaborate on specific areas of interest. The working groups emerge, coalesce, carry out research and report as fast as markets move – delivering solutions to emerging challenges within boardroom timescales. To date, significant value has been created by groups working on telecoms for transport, spectrum deregulation, photonics, critical infrastructure protection, innovation in telecommunications, and interconnection. The CRN’s collaborative approach is helping to accelerate the pace of innovation in the communications industry’s products, services, standards and regulation - driving continued economic growth.

Telecoms for Transport

Telecoms systems are set to play an increasingly vital role in transport – enabling more efficient and safer movement of people and materials, and providing access to powerful journey planning, progress monitoring, pollution mapping and sophisticated road pricing mechanisms. The CRN have set up a Telecoms for Transport Working Group to consider issues such as the reliability of transport telecoms systems under extreme duress such as natural disasters, freak weather conditions and terrorist attacks.

Managing Spectrum

New technological advances, regulatory changes, evolving global economic models and increased social interest have led to a point where a rethink of radio spectrum ownership is not only possible, but essential. The Spectrum Working Group are working to identify and resolve gaps and overlaps in current spectrum use, highlighting the barriers to entry facing new technology and applications, and proposing policy for the international coordination and harmonisation of spectrum use.

Innovation in Telecommunications

Historically, regulation has been seen as vital to the efficient operation of the telecommunications sector. In recent years however the environment has changed dramatically: major new internet players have emerged, while incumbent vendors and service providers have found their world view is crumbling. The world wide web has permitted an unprecedented level of access to information, democratising application and service development. The way we use communications is changing, with falling TV viewing, increased internet usage and mobile phones replacing fixed lines. Increasing convergence means that these changes will spread and grow. Application, service, technological, commercial, geographical and social boundaries will blur, and disruption will become the norm.

This exciting new ecosystem creates a hugely challenging environment for all stakeholders in the communications industry. It is essential that the regulatory regime keeps pace with the pace of telecoms innovation, acting as an inspiration to innovation rather than an inhibitor. Hardware and software vendors, telecoms operators, service providers, governments and regulatory bodies all need to establish a robust and well informed understanding of the issues, in order to develop viable strategies and policies. The CRN set up the Innovation in Telecommunications Working Group to bring this broad array of stakeholders together, fostering cooperation and encouraging encourage innovative thinking.