The Government looks to expand digital UK map of underground cables
The Government's National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), representing a new digital UK map of underground pipes and cables looks to expand, potentially to the public, following a progress update.
NUAR is a digital map of underground pipes and cables built by The Geospatial Commission, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The Government sees huge potential for national infrastructure to be better managed, built and planned through digital location maps. This includes future full fibre broadband and 5G mobile networks. The digital map also aims to cut accidental damage that occurs to existing infrastructure and, once operational, is envisaged to deliver £490 million per year of economic growth through increased efficiency in construction and development, reduced asset strikes and reduced disruptions for the public and businesses.
The Geospatial Commision's progress update, including sharing information on a discovery project, also focuses on the potential for increased economic growth that could be realised through widening access to the vital national asset, including opportunities for the wider market. For example, supporting the rollout of electric vehicle charge points, flood risk planning or emergency response.
Also announced last Thursday 23 November, the digital map has expanded to cover the South East, South West, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber and East of England. At present, NUAR includes data from major energy and water providers and several telecommunications companies, including CityFibre and Virgin Media O2.
In Parliament last week, measures were also tabled to update existing legislation, taking advantage of opportunities provided by data and technology advancements, to simplify and expedite the process by which asset data is shared. Updates aim to ensure that data is accessible, up to date, comprehensive and standardised. It is advocated this will reduce the time taken for workers to get all the location data they need to carry out safe digging from six days to 60 seconds.
Currently, the NUAR service will continue to be iteratively enhanced in line with user feedback, the MVP coverage will be expanded to Northern Ireland by Spring 2024, and the platform aims to be fully operational by the end of 2025. Measures are being sought in Parliament to update existing legislation, taking advantage of opportunities provided by data and technology advancements, to simplify and expedite the process by which asset data is shared.
To hear more on this, and our work around NUAR at techUK, please reach out to Mia Haffety or Sophie James.
Jaynesh Patel
Jaynesh Patel
Jaynesh Patel is Head of Telecoms and Spectrum Policy, leading the Communications Infrastructure and Services Programme at techUK and overseeing the UK Spectrum Policy Forum.
Jaynesh has extensive experience in the sector, having worked for CityFibre (a full fibre broadband company) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on digital infrastructure policy. Most recently Jaynesh led on policy and public affairs in the UK and Ireland for ChargePoint (an EV charging network).
Prior to this Jaynesh worked in the Cabinet Office for more than five years, including over two years at the Government Digital Service (GDS) supporting the digital transformation of UK Government.
Jaynesh has a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE).
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Josh Turpin
Josh Turpin
Josh joined techUK as a Programme Manager for Telecoms and Net Zero in August 2024.
In this role, working jointly across the techUK Telecoms and Climate Programmes, Josh is responsible for leading on telecoms infrastructure deployment and uptake and supporting innovation opportunities, as well as looking at how the tech sector can be further utilised in the UK’s decarbonisation efforts.
Prior to joining techUK, Josh’s background was in public affairs and communications, working for organisations across a diverse portfolio of sectors including defence, telecoms and infrastructure; aiding clients through stakeholder engagement, crisis communications, media outreach as well as secretariat duties.
Outside of work, Josh has a keen interest in music, painting and sailing.
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Matthew Wild
Matthew Wild
Matthew joined techUK in August 2023 as a Programme Assistant.
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Tales Gaspar
Tales Gaspar
Tales has a background in law and economics, with previous experience in the regulation of new technologies and infrastructure.
In the UK and Europe, he offered consultancy on intellectual property rights of cellular and IoT technologies and on the regulatory procedures at the ITU as a Global Fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI).
Tales has an LL.M in Law and Business by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and an MSc in Regulation at the London School of Economics, with a specialization in Government and Law.
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Teodora Kaneva
Teodora Kaneva
Teodora’s rich background varies from working in business development for a renewable energy lobbying association in Brussels to the fast moving technology innovation startup scene in the UK.
She has designed the market strategy for a German renewable energy engineering scale up for the UK, listed on Nasdaq private market, and now one of the fastest growing scale ups in the world. Previous experience also includes managing a renewable energy startup in London, which has built a small-scale biomass CHP power plant. Teodora is passionate about cross-industry collaboration and working together with academia to inform the design of future educational models and skill building.
Most recently Teodora has ran the commercial activities and business development at Future Cities Catapult, focusing on innovation in cities, digital health and wellbeing, mobility, and infrastructure. Teodora is a passionate STEM Ambassador and a vocal advocate for women in tech.
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Lucas Banach
Lucas Banach
Lucas Banach is Programme Assistant at techUK, he works on a range of programmes including Data Centres; Climate, Environment & Sustainability; Market Access and Smart Infrastructure and Systems.
Before that Lucas who joined in 2008, held various roles in our organisation, which included his role as Office Executive, Groups and Concept Viability Administrator, and most recently he worked as Programme Executive for Public Sector. He has a postgraduate degree in International Relations from the Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski Cracow University.
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