Chimera research informs BT network investment analysis
Release Date:
8 Mar 2007
Research being carried out at Chimera, the University of Essex’s Institute for Social and Technical Research is helping BT to characterise future household spending as part of its wider analysis of future access network infrastructure options. The project which is funded by BT and lead by Dr Ben Anderson is combining public expenditure datasets with actual and projected census data to produce estimates of household expenditure on a range of goods and services at small levels of geography (c 2,500 households). Part of the work has involved the development of statistical and geo-spatial models that can be used to analyse the effects of changing technology uptake, expenditure and social trends on subsequent spatial patterns of usage and expenditure out to 2016. This includes the ability to carry out scenario analysis of, for example, potential price changes or service innovations.
BT is already using the results of this work to help analyse its future access network investment options. Mr Jon Wakeling, the BT sponsor said “Understanding the changing geography of ICT demand over time can support more informed decisions about where and when to deploy different technology options at fine levels of geography. This could help us target the appropriate network capabilities to match aggregated application requirements in terms of bandwidth and help to ensure that we see maximum return on our investments.”
Dr Anderson said “This is an extremely interesting area of applied research based on methods developed at Essex and in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Sheffield. The BT funded work has demonstrated the utility and value of the methods as well as producing publishable academic research results. We are now seeing interest from other companies, development agencies and government departments who have an interest in the spatial distribution of their customers, citizens and markets. For example we are currently using the methods to estimate household income deprivation at small area levels for the Department for Communities and Local Government to provide input to the next round of the DCLG’s Indices of Deprivation.”
BT is already using the results of this work to help analyse its future access network investment options. Mr Jon Wakeling, the BT sponsor said “Understanding the changing geography of ICT demand over time can support more informed decisions about where and when to deploy different technology options at fine levels of geography. This could help us target the appropriate network capabilities to match aggregated application requirements in terms of bandwidth and help to ensure that we see maximum return on our investments.”
Dr Anderson said “This is an extremely interesting area of applied research based on methods developed at Essex and in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Sheffield. The BT funded work has demonstrated the utility and value of the methods as well as producing publishable academic research results. We are now seeing interest from other companies, development agencies and government departments who have an interest in the spatial distribution of their customers, citizens and markets. For example we are currently using the methods to estimate household income deprivation at small area levels for the Department for Communities and Local Government to provide input to the next round of the DCLG’s Indices of Deprivation.”
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