Business leaders: Broadband is catalyst for Norfolk’s rural regeneration

There has been a lot of action lately in Norfolk when it comes to their broadband scene. The Better Broadband for Norfolk project was recently launched in the hopes of bringing superfast broadband to the area. The goal of the project was to bring superfast broadband connections to Norfolk and complete the roll-out by the end of this year.

In line with this, a registration website was launched to gather much-needed data from would-be Norfolk web users so as to raise interest and generate funding for the implementation of the project.

Ann Steward, Norfolk County Council’s cabinet member for economic development, stated: “The importance of painting an accurate picture of the demand that exists in Norfolk cannot be understated. We know that many individuals, families, businesses and communities are held back and frustrated by poor broadband access.”

She added: “Now we need a sheer volume of people to show they want a better broadband service so we can ultimately get a deal that means 
the Better Broadband for Norfolk project can get superfast broadband out to as many properties as possible. We really need everyone’s support on this.”

Now enterprise leaders are also speaking up about the Norfolk broadband project, saying that it could be the catalyst for the area’s rural regeneration. The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership is currently making the final arrangements on its bid for a share of £15 million in funding from the government to set up one of six pilot rural growth networks (RGNs) in the country.

New Anglia programme director Chris Starkie stated: “Broadband is as important today as electricity was for our forefathers,” he said. “It is the engine of the modern community that enables isolated places to be in touch with the rest of the world. Rural businesses suffer from being remote, but if they were all to get fast broadband they could become just as competitive as other locations. Suddenly a redundant office complex could be just as attractive as something in the city centre from a business perspective.”

He added: “It brings back life to villages that potentially, because of their geographic location, are in decline. It enables young people to have learning opportunities like they would have in the city, it enables older people to get access to services on a par with everywhere else, and it allows businesses to be competitive.”

Starkie also talked about the role of the people in the project, saying: “This broadband project will only be a success if people use the infrastructure that is on offer. There is no point spending millions on a new fibre-optic network if no-one is going to use it. We need to show there is a demand for this, so we would encourage businesses and individuals, wherever they are across Norfolk, to register their interest.”