Research Briefing
Digital Economy Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages
The Digital Economy Bill is scheduled to receive its second reading in the House of Lords on 13 December 2016. The Bill aims to enable access to fast digital communication services for citizens and businesses; to enable investment in digital communications infrastructure; to shape the emerging digital world to the benefit of children, consumers and businesses; and to support the digital transformation of government, enabling the delivery of better public services, world leading research and better statistics. This House of Lords Library briefing gives an overview of the provisions of the Bill. It focuses measures concerning the introduction of a broadband universal service obligation; protection for children from online pornography; public sector data sharing; the BBC and public service broadcasters. It outlines the policy background in those areas, and a summary of some of the key amendments made to the Bill during committee and report stages in the House of Commons.