IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

“As the coverage and level of service available on non-copper networks increases, the government is likely at some point to need to consider with operators and the regulator whether switching off copper networks is desirable from a commercial and a policy objective,” it states.

Low pay and a male-dominated sector must be tackled to help the NHS, police and councils bring in vital digital expertise

It has been almost a decade since the government pulled the plug on what would have been the world’s largest civilian computer system. The NHS IT system was meant to create electronic patient records for use across the health service in England, but ended up becoming known as the biggest IT failure ever seen. The project, finally abandoned in 2011, cost taxpayers at least £10bn.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made significant advancements in its digital transformation over the past few years, with a remarkable 97 percent of total government services being digitalized, totaling over 6,000 services. The National Transformation Program's 2022 report reveals that the Kingdom is ranked first regionally and third globally in the World Bank's GovTech Maturity Index 2022, which is a testament to the country's efforts in the field of technology.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia's international placement has witnessed substantial strides with its 31st rank in the United Nation e-Government Development Index in 2022. This achievement is a testament to the country's commitment to providing digital services to its citizens and improving the quality of life.

Shared Mobility Infrastructure becomes the Lynchpin of Future Transport Roadmaps as Cities Push for Smart, Safe, and Sustainable Mobility

Frost & Sullivan carries out comprehensive, in-depth analysis of 20 leading countries in the world to understand who is ready from an economic, competitive, and regulatory perspective for a future of shared, multi-modal mobility.

Expansion is made possible through Sunderland’s smart city infrastructure, the result of a 20-year partnership between the council and BAI Communications.

Residents and visitors to the city of Sunderland in northern England can access free, superfast and reliable wifi in more outdoor places following a network expansion by Sunderland City Council and BAI Communications.

Liz St Louis, director of smart cities at Sunderland City Council, explains how the city is leading the way in digital transformation and is determined to leave no one and nowhere behind.

From education to housing, and healthcare to environment, the expectations of what a city must provide for its residents, businesses and visitors are ever-growing. In order to embed new technology to enable life enhancing improvements, an evolving infrastructure is vital. In Sunderland LoRaWaN and expanding public wifi networks are enabling digital transformation on a city-wide scale.

Plans to turn the Weaver’s Cross regeneration site into the Belfast 'Smart City Centre' have emerged from City Hall.

Elected representatives at a recent Belfast City Council committee meeting heard an update from officers on the Belfast Smart District programme, including details on the commencement of a first phase “to leverage and maximise innovation opportunities for the city, communities and businesses building on the new Weavers Cross regeneration”.

In the first phase of this five-year project, 140 staff will get the devices, supplied by BT Health, which already provides the health service’s N3 data network and is prime contractor for NHS IT upgrades in London.

The UK has traditionally viewed Silicon Valley as the trailblazer of technological advancement, but environments producing innovation and success in the IT industry extend well beyond the USA. To drive success, the UK needs to expand its horizons and look to emerging markets, such as India, which has seen its ICT sector grow from being a $5.7bn industry in 2000 to a staggeringly large $100bn industry just 12 years later.

NHS England said it has decided to ditch the plans after reviewing progress at seven pathfinder areas that were selected to spearhead delivery of the Government’s flagship telehealth programme.

Dynamic. Healthy. Vibrant. Since being named the UK’s smartest city at the Digital Leaders 100 List 2020, Sunderland has continued on an upward trajectory in the development of digital capabilities across the city.

2021 has seen momentum gather and our journey has paved the way for the evolution of ‘Sunderland Our Smart City Programme’, a programme committed to arming our city with the digital capabilities to improve the economy and quality of life via digital access, support, and education.

The report looks at the hiring demand and salaries within 10 UK cities that are developing reputations as technology cluster hubs: London, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Sheffield. It focuses on five key technology disciplines in which there are a shortage of skilled IT professionals across the country: IT security, cloud, mobile, big data and web development.

The UK Government Office for Science has published a report entitled “Artificial intelligence: opportunities and implications for the future of decision making”.

The report focuses on several significant areas: What benefits will AI bring for society and government? What are the effects of AI on the labour market? How do we manage ethical and legal challenges from the use of AI?

The four eHealth Centres of Excellence will be based in London, Manchester, Dundee and Swansea, and should be up and running by the end of the year.

The Medical Research Council, which is leading the consortium, said the Centres would: “Harness the wealth of UK electronic health records to improve patient care and public health”.

The Farr Institute (named for the leading nineteenth century epidemiologist William Farr) will build on £19 million existing funding that supports four e-health informatics research centres (eHIRCs) from a combination of government Research Councils, health departments and medical research charities, doubling investment in health informatics in the UK. With major centres in London, Dundee, Manchester and Swansea, the new institute will link research from medical, population and computer scientists based at nineteen UK universities.

A school in Scunthorpe has launched a biometric system that will allow students to pay for their lunches with a fingerprint scan.

The system was installed by Baysgarth School, in Barton, at the end of last term, with the aim of simplifying the payment system.

A statement issued by the school stated that the system “will completely eliminate the need for students to remember their lunch card and go through the hassle of waiting for a temporary pass”.

Tech Export Academy to boost innovation

The United Kingdom has launched a new tech academy that will give 30 firms involved in smart city solutions the opportunity to undertake a trade mission to Thailand next year.

The nine-month Tech Export Academy programme will provide the 30 British companies a package of support to help them expand their business in Asia-Pacific.

The declarations aims to reinvigorate Europe's e-Government efforts and intend to agree upon a roadmap for ‘next steps’ both at national and EU level

The minister for Government and Resilience and Efficiency Caroline Nokes is expected to sign the EU’s Tallinn Declaration on e-Government tomorrow at a ministerial meeting and conference organised by the Estonian EU presidency.