Shaping the UK internet industry for 30 years

In 1995 Clarity, alongside a group of some of the first UK ISPs, founded the Internet Services Provider’s Association to promote the burgeoning Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry in the UK and push for self-regulation of the internet sector. Nearly 30 years later we still run ISPA and are at the heart of the sector.

Introduction

ISPA has flourished into the UK’s primary industry advocacy group for ISPs, representing over 150 members from across the spectrum of providers, from well established market brands like BT, Openreach, VMO2, Vodafone, Three & Sky to the emerging alternative networks and a multitude of organizations in between. Clarity has been at the heart of the growth in the UK internet, acting on behalf of our members and central to the major developments and challenges industry has faced over the past 30 years  - from the days of dial up to LLU, broadband and now gigabit-capable fibre.. 

We’ve promoted inward investment and ensured our industry is heard, representing ISPs in Government and the media. Whether it’s breaking barriers to build and stimulating deployment of nationwide fibre or developing the framework that governs connectivity, the team at Clarity have played a vital role.

The Challenge

From its earliest foundations, the UK internet sector invited significant attention from Parliamentarians, Government, the media and regulators, which meant industry required an effective voice that could represent the sector’s interests - in stepped Clarity’s President of Public Affairs, Nick Lansman, who, with the support of industry created ISPA UK to act as the main advocacy group for the sector. 

The UK’s ISP sector has been one of the fastest growing industries over the past 30 years, and is now one of the most important for the UK, its economy, and its society. Clarity, as the secretariat for ISPA, has had the responsibility of operating this key conduit, working on government legislation, consultations and engagement to ensure the UKs digital connectivity capabilities are recognised.

The challenge for ISPA has and will continue to be ensuring that the growth and development of the sector isn’t stifled by over-regulation and that industry has an effective voice - Clarity has had the responsibility to ensure these challenges are met. 

Our Insight

Clarity has a wealth of experience, exceeding 50 years across its team, that helps shape the advocacy, engagement and policy work of the association. Our team has worked closely with the sector through the development of the UK internet sector from its early foundations through to the modern day, where the internet is intrinsic to everything we do. 

The team has developed an intimate understanding of a wide array of key issues critical to internet and telecoms issues from infrastructure deployment to online safety to cyber security regulations, infrastructure deployment to sector funding, all of which helps us to continually deliver for the UKs ISP sector.

Our Strategy & Solution

30 years is well beyond the normal timeline for clients across any agency, globally, but is something we are proud to showcase at Clarity. In that time there has not been one single strategy, approach or solution, but many. Clarity has had to develop with the industry, tailoring our work to the developments in technology and the sector as a whole. 

As such, Clarity has to be agile to successfully deliver for ISPA and its members, and our work is diverse. Some of our key delivery includes: 

• Horizon scanning potential regulatory threats to identify and pre-empt unwanted interventions
• Establishing relationships across Government, Parliament, the media and Industry to raise awareness and influence key decision makers, regularly taking meetings with leading media outlets (BBC, The telegraph, The FT to name a few), senior ministers and parliamentary committees
• Taking the lead by organizing industry best practice, establishing codes of practice and other self-regulatory systems. Example
• Legislative wins, both big and small
• Adapted to and shaped the changes to the ISP sector, from dial-up to Full Fibre, working with ISPs, infrastructure builders, hardware manufacturers and software developers to create an impactful ecosystem of organisations who shape the everyday lives in the UK - we have been a key conduit to enable this collaboration. 
• Organised and led many key events in the UK internet calendar, including the primary Parliamentary event, the largest industry awards in the sector, dubbed the Oscars of UK internet and one of the key annual sector conferences, where senior leaders from government and industry come together to engage.

Examples in Media found here

Impact

For 30 years Clarity has helped shape the UK internet sector, and developed ISPA to be the primary voice of the UK internet industry and the over 170 members & partners of the association, becoming the go-to group when Government, regulators and the media want to engage. Our work has helped progress the industry in countless ways, some of our biggest achievements include:

• Transformed the way society operates by supporting the growth and adoption of the internet across the UK.
• Developed the first and primary Internet industry code of practice
• Become the first point of contact for government departments and parliament when develop industry related legislation
• Forged ISPA as the central voice for all organizations across the sector
• Played an important role in enabling one of the largest infrastructure projects of the century - building fibre networks nationwide with over £40bn of investment in the last 5 years.