I suspect this post title is gobbledegook to some readers. I’m continually having to learn new acronyms myself.

COTS in this case stands for Commercial, Operational and Technical Standards for Independent Local Open Access Networks. It is the latest initiative by the Broadband Stakeholders Group to promote a standard approach to the delivery of the plethora of ad hoc networks that are going to be springing up in the UK in the wake of Digital Britain.

This is to be applauded and on Thursday 3rd of September the BSG is visiting Hull to hold a town hall meeting (it is literally in Hull Town Hall) with the citizens of the North who have felt very much left out of the debate on how to make rural broadband a reality.

The day is split into a colloquium in the morning with the actual COTS meeting starting at 1.30. The COTS agenda is still fluid but an outline is shown below.

COTS Project overview (BSG, 15-20 minutes)

Stakeholder panel (5 mins each)
Ofcom
KCOM – Guy Jarvis,
Fibrestream – Lindsey Annison
INCA – TBC

Discussion – topics

General discussion on the concept

Are we on the right track? Right objective, right diagnosis of the issues?

The scope of the work

Are the three elements right? Should we focus on particular issues? Anything else we should consider?

Initial thoughts on requirements

What do participants need a solution to be able to do?

Thoughts on the commercial, operational and technical requirements

Views on solutions

Blue sky thoughts, to put ideas forward

Views on the process

Any issues with how we plan to take this forward?

Thoughts on the steering group

Views on membership/composition

Role/remit, how it should operate

The meeting is free to attend. I’d go myself but have a prior appointment in London. I’m sure Lindsay Annison will provide me with some feedback.