Who could control Britain’s digital infrastructure? A co-operative answer
Resource
Britain’s plans for growth and sovereign AI depend on fibre, 5G and data centres it doesn’t yet have. This report shows how a co-operative model, already working in Greater Manchester, lets councils, the NHS and businesses join up their infrastructure without giving up ownership or control.
AI, better public services and growth outside London all depend on digital infrastructure. Today we get it in two ways, and both have costs. Competing networks dig parallel routes and leave stranded assets when operators fail. Relying on a handful of overseas tech giants brings lock-in and exposure to foreign jurisdiction. Hyperscale data centres also face long waits for grid connections and growing opposition from local communities.
This report sets out a third option. Under the Thin Layer Model, public bodies and companies keep ownership of their ducts, fibre, sites and data centres. A neutral co-operative connects those assets into one shared system. It uses one-member-one-vote governance, so no single player can take control.
The model is already working. Cooperative Network Infrastructure (CNI) in Greater Manchester has more than 50 members, including councils, NHS bodies, colleges and competing telecoms operators, and almost 300km of fibre.