Broadband in Suffolk Campaign

The campaign for high speed broadband in Suffolk is gathering momentum.  We know that the demand and need is there.  Suffolk has proved this in its response to the EEDA "Erebus" scheme where responses from Suffolk have topped all other counties in the region.

As Chair of Choose Suffolk I have been asked to work with business and other stakeholders to ensure that we secure fast broadband coverage for the whole of Suffolk.  Businesses and families in rural communities need fast broadband just as much as those in urban areas.  So we need a comprehensive approach which will eliminate any "not-spots" for the future.

 Having discussed the issue with a number of you and taking advice from the Suffolk Broadband Stakeholder Group I am aiming to find a way forward which will ensure that we have the right infrastructure and systems across Suffolk which will enable us to continually build on and improve the service that we all receive.  I will be working with the infrastructure providers and internet service providers to develop a comprehensive and flexible system along these lines. 

In the interim I know that a number of communities are looking to develop their own locally based solutions to plug some of the gaps, and some of you will be bidding for the recently announced EEDA funding - for further detail please visit the EEDA website www.eeda.org.uk/broadbandgrants - this will provide more information on the package of £500k that is on offer to plug gaps in rural broadband.  I would encourage you to go ahead with these schemes but suggest that you ensure that any solution will be robust as technology moves on and will link in with the wider solution that we plan to deliver for Suffolk.  Any local solution should:

• provide a minimum 10mpbs, preferably synchronous, and be technologically robust to ensure that it can be linked into a County-wide network in the future.  This will ensure a degree of ‘future proofing’ for projects developed ahead of a County- wide network
• be based on a thorough assessment of need and demand in a given area - Broadband Stakeholder Group members can help with access to access this data
• take steps to ensure that it is aware of other broadband activities across Suffolk so that the possibility of extending existing provision can be considered alongside new provision

Assistance with developing projects (including technical advice on issues to be addressed – such as latency, contention and other factors - to achieve a robust solution) can be provided by the Suffolk Broadband Partnership via Suffolk County Council (Frances Bedding frances.bedding@suffolk.gov.uk) and Suffolk ACRE (Roger Turkington - roger.turkington@suffolkacre.org.uk).

Andy Wood

Chairman of Choose Suffolk and Chief Executive of Adnams plc