Despite Carter's controversial proposal to levy £6 a year on each household with a fixed phoneline to help pay for the next generation of the internet, the affordability of access remains a critical issue for poorer familes.
An effective coupling of centralised smart technology and citizen participation, this builds on the US idea of a 3-1-1 phoneline to report non-emergency issues, adding a website and smartphone app with the ability to send photos.
"I was bullied, ostracised from my department, refused proper office facilities (a tiny desk which had no internet access and I was working on a digital project and needed email) and refused a dedicated phoneline which I had previously".
It turns out the implosion of Britain's establishment is as much of a Twitterfest as the X Factor final, with only a slightly different phoneline policy.
At the moment, they all feature ads for 1-800-TAXICAB 1-800-TAXICAB 1-800-TAXICAB
Is every dead phoneline a sign of ill will? - and it's easy to see why people who have been stalked often have trouble convincing anyone, even those closest to them.
The CEO of the Silver Line, a 24-hour phoneline for older people dealing with loneliness, spoke passionately about the importance of the phone line, and how evidence gleaned from piloting the concept helped them secure funding to roll it out properly.
