In the wake of the US analog to digital switchover last Friday, comes the UK’s Digital Britain report, more formally known as the

In the report are mentions of digital TV (which many parts of the country already have), how the BBC is funded and how commercial TV companies might cream off some of the so-called TV Licence fee to cover the public service broadcasting obligations and more, the analog radio switch off (2015), and the revelation that broadband access (at 2 megabits per second) is almost as vital as a supply of fresh water and power to Brits.

Meanwhile, action points in summary below:

• Universal access to broadband by 2012
• Investment fund for next generation of “superfast” broadband for whole of UK
• Digital Radio Upgrade by 2015
• Accelerating current and next generation mobile coverage and services
• Proposed new biannual assessment role for telecoms regulator Ofcom

Other more woolly parts of the action plan include:

• Three year National Plan to improve digital participation
• Programme of Digital Switchover in public services
• A new Digital Inclusion Champion: Martha Lane Fox (originally of Lastminute.com fame)
• Revised Digital remit for Channel 4 and key role for BBC
• Guaranteed funding for three years for targeted marketing and outreach
• Robust legal and regulatory framework to combat Digital Piracy
• Digital Test Beds to promote innovation, experimentation and learning around creation and monetization of digital content
• TV Licence Fee: consultation on contained contestability, primarily to secure news in the nations, regions and locally
• A new direction for Channel 4, championing new talent across all digital media
• Guidance note and clarification on the media merger regime and an enhanced evidence role for the regulator in local mergers
• Support for Independently Funded News Consortia

The full report…all nine chapters….yaaaaawn…can be found here or here as a Word doc.

While all of this may not seem immediately relevant to anyone outside the UK, there are two areas that may have an impact: First, changes to the BBC could affect the way programs are made and news gathered and so impact partner TV companies and organizations elsewhere in the world. Secondly, the way the UK tackles digital piracy might inform the strategies other governments under pressure from commercial lobbyists.