Member Article

Major broadband scheme for Newcastle predicted to bring £150 million benefit

A major initiative to bring superfast broadband to 97% of Newcastle was launched this morning, and is being described as one of the biggest engineering works to take place in the North East.

It is predicted that Go Digital Newcastle could boost the city’s economy by up to £150 million.

The Newcastle City Council project will use £9 million of public funding and is co-funded by the Council and BT.

As well as building household and business connectivity, Go Digital will deliver free Wi-Fi across the city, in public buildings and on high streets - with plans introduce services on the Metro too.

Through the project, SMEs and voluntary organisations in Newcastle will be able to apply for ‘connection vouchers’ worth up to £3k towards the cost of connecting to broadband services.

Speaking at this morning’s launch, Newcastle Central MP, Chi Onwurah said bringing superfast connectivity to the city would bring wider benefits to the region - providing a platform for economic and creative growth.

The former electrical engineer said: “This project is not only important to Newcastle, but the North East region as a whole.

“Digital connectivity is vital to the growth of our economy, and this will put Newcastle, and the North East at the centre of this advancement.”

She added: “Good connections bring huge benefits to people both in their work and in their home life – in today’s fast-moving world, they’re a necessity rather than a luxury.

“They will make Newcastle even more attractive to organisations looking for a base with world-class connections, while enhancing the activities of our local businesses, helping create and safeguard jobs.”

Former Codeworks CEO and Thinking Digital Conference honcho Herb Kim talked enthusiastically to the launch audience about the potential for the city and region.

Herb pointed to businesses such as Accenture, Hewlett Packard and Nomad Digital, all with presences in the North East, and described the “north-shoring” of jobs, made possible by quality connectivity.

Under the scheme, BT will deliver the installation of fibre optic cabling across the city. The network will be open to all communications providers on an equal wholesale basis, so householders and businesses will benefit from a highly competitive market.

Bill Murphy, BT’s managing director of next generation access, said competitiveness was directly linked to connectivity.

Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said: “This initiative means Newcastle will be one of the best-connected cities in the UK, which gives our local economy huge advantages when it comes to competitiveness and attracting business.

“And for local residents who sign up with a supplier to receive superfast broadband at home, it will revolutionise the way they shop, find information, download entertainment and compare prices – it’s like turbo-charging your lifestyle.”

For more information on the Go Digital scheme and the support for businesses, visit the website here.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .