Faster Broadband in Suffolk

Given how remote we are in Creeting St Peter, I thought that readers might be interested in this letter...

Dear Parish Councillor,

You may be aware of recent publicity around the campaign for faster broadband for Suffolk. This important issue has been given a high profile recently due to the possibility of accessing EEDA funding to support the roll out of faster broadband in Suffolk. This key issue has been growing in importance as more of our future economic prosperity and community well being relies on good fast broadband access to enable skills and business development, health care, access to services and generally improved quality of life. This is particularly true in rural areas where service provision is often more challenging.

The recent Digital Britain Report (2009) identified Suffolk as one of the worst for broadband access in the East of England. BT have recently identified that Suffolk is second only to Norfolk in terms of take up of broadband services – this indicates a high demand despite poor service. Overall internet usage in rural areas is growing at a much higher rate than in urban areas – so demand for faster broadband is set to continue to grow.

But why campaign for faster broadband? Faster broadband provides significant competitive advantage for businesses, it enables children to learn more effectively and to gain higher grades – recent DCF research into the Home Access Programme showed that if a child is given internet access it’s GCSE grades can rise by as much as 10 points overall. Broadband enables people and businesses to access services more easily, it widens social and cultural opportunities for people living in remote rural areas or those with mobility/transport problems and it assists in carbon reduction through enabling home working, remote access to services, home shopping, access to entertainment. Additionally it can help to provide new businesses for rural areas to replace the gap left by farming and other shrinking sectors – possibly attracting higher value jobs as well.

So how can you as Parish Councillors help to support the growing case for faster broadband for Suffolk? EEDA have set up a website for people and businesses to register their interest in broadband – essentially what businesses and residents want to use faster broadband for. I am writing to you to ask you to go onto the EEDA website and register your interest in having faster broadband services for Suffolk. There is information attached to this letter on the type of activities that faster broadband can help with.

Early indications from EEDA on registrations from Suffolk are very good – we are one of the highest following our publicity campaign over Christmas and into the New Year – EEDA commented that the response in January was ‘exceptional’ with over 3,000 registrations from Suffolk. We need to keep the pressure on the ensure that we get the maximum number of registrations as the information will be used by EEDA to judge where there is most demand for funding intervention.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Bruce Provan
Portfolio Holder for Skills and Economic Development