December Newsletter

ISPA in 2015

2015 was ISPA's 20th Anniversary and was a big year for the association. We gained 14 new members, held 10 events, appeared in the press 150 times and participated in all the major policy debates affecting the sector.

Policy ISPA represented members on major issues such as broadband, investigatory powers, the Digital Single Market and tackling extremism online. We have officially responded to several consultations this year, including the Ofcom Digital Communications Review, the parliamentary inquiry into superfast broadband and the Science and Technology Committee investigatory powers inquiry. The General Election saw ISPA react to the political party manifestos, and engage with dozens of the nearly 200 newly elected Members of Parliament to educate them on broadband, investigatory powers and surveillance issues. The new Conservative Government has pledged a new Universal Service Obligation for broadband and introduced new laws on consumer protection, surveillance and age verification, so ISPA met with officials from the Home Office, Treasury, DCMS, BIS and the new Minister for Internet Safety to represent the views of industry.

Media ISPA was ever present in broadcast, print and online media with the Investigatory Powers, the ISPA Awards and the Ofcom Digital Communications Review generating the most coverage, however we also commented on how heat affects the Internet, the election and the Digital Single Market. You can see our media coverage here.

Events The 20th Anniversary ISPA Conference took place in November, looking at future broadband technology, investigatory powers, business communications and cyber-threats. We held a plenary session at the Parliament and Internet Conference on the importance of encryption plus a workshop on the Digital Single Market. The ISPA Awards were in July with Hyperoptic and Catalyst2 winning multiple awards and we held three dinners and drinks receptions for members.

New members ISPA also gained several new members with the likes of Venus, Huawei, Surf Telecom and Clannet joining the association. A list of members is here. With the Ofcom strategic review published early next year and the Investigatory Powers Bill progressing through parliament, we expect a busy start to 2016!

The ISPA Awards are open for entries

The 2016 ISPAs are open for entries and the deadline to register is Friday 29th January. The ISPAs are recognised for their independence and represent the diversity of the sector with 16 awards up for grabs, including new categories covering marketing, CPE products and cloud services. The ceremony will take place in London on Thursday 7th July 2016 and is a black-tie banquet & awards ceremony with a drinks reception, live band and entertainment. Useful links:

• Registration page: http://ispa.thinkbroadband.com
• 2015 Winners: http://www.ispa.org.uk/ispa-awards/previous-winners/2015-winners/
• Launch press release: http://www.ispa.org.uk/ispa-launches-quest-to-find-the-best-isps-in-2016/

Raise your profile at the 2016 ISPA Awards

The ISPA Awards are the largest gathering of ISPs and providers of VoIP, hosting and cloud services in the UK. Sponsoring the 2016 ISPAs is a great way to generate leads, entertain clients, reward staff and get high profile exposure among 300 senior figures from the Internet industry. For full information, please click here.

ISPA secures new ADR provider for members

ISPA has appointed Ombudsman Services as the association's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider, resulting in lower case fees and less administration for members. Having an ADR provider is a legal requirement for CSPs and ISPA members receive this for free as part of their membership. The new arrangements will begin on 1 January 2016 and full information was sent to members.

ISPA gives evidence to Parliament on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill

ISPA gave evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and the Joint Committee who are scrutinising the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill. ISPA Chair James Blessing represented the association during both sessions, with ISPA Council member Matthew Hare giving evidence to the Science and Technology Committee. In both evidence sessions, James raised points on the technical feasibility of the Draft Bill the impact on industry and the need for clearer definitions.

ISPA continuing to educate MPs on broadband and Internet policy

ISPA has been continuing to meet newly elected MPs from across the UK to discuss the broadband market, rolling out infrastructure in rural areas and how to foster investment in networks.

ISPA in the press

The ISPA Awards and our evidence to parliament on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill saw ISPA feature in Computer Weekly, Cable.co.uk, uSwitch, ISP Review, Telecompaper, Thinkbroadband in December.

Deals for members

ISPA members get a range of discounts and deals at external events and conferences. A list of upcoming events is here.