1.12 The advisers also explored opportunities associated with a private sector partner commercially exploiting the Agency's telecommunications assets. The view was that third party revenue could off-set some, if not all, of the cost of improving the telecommunications systems.
■ The use of spare capacity in the fibre optic cables: While telecommunications operators were interested in managing the Agency's systems, by the time such companies were invited to tender, they placed little value on the commercial exploitation of spare capacity in the trunk cables. They considered that the amount of spare capacity would be relatively small. They were also concerned that some lengths of the fibre optic cables would prove inefficient because of their age.
■ The leasing of sites from the Agency for mobile phone masts and aerials: Mobile phone companies confirmed their interest in locating masts and aerials on the Agency's land and structures along motorway corridors. The interest, however, was tied to immediate need associated with the roll out of 3G services and demand was likely to fade over time.
■ The development of roadside to vehicle communications: KHHD considered that there was an opportunity for the Agency and a private sector party to develop roadside to vehicle communications. This opportunity was, however, dependent on technology developments. In the event, the Agency decided, in spring 2001, not to pursue this idea because the technology risk might have compromised the whole project, but it could still be developed in the future if offered by a third party.
1.13 The Agency decided to extend and upgrade its telecommunications systems around fibre optic cables running between transmission stations along the motorways that linked Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol and London and would include spurs running to Exeter, Southampton and Dover. This cable network included links to police control offices, but excluded local connections between roadside devices and the trunk cables (Figure 6). The upgraded systems would meet the Agency's expected future demand for telecommunications capacity and the Agency expected that there would be market interest in commercial exploitation of the improved assets.