Working in partnership for the people of Herefordshire
Council helps to meet the challenges of broadband
Herefordshire Council is seeking to work with communities and businesses to improve broadband coverage in the county.
The council recognises broadband coverage and speed is a key issue for the county, with communities and businesses potentially losing out on the opportunities of electronic communication.
In response, Herefordshire Council is organising a community broadband conference for anyone interested in looking at solutions for the county. The conference will take place on Thursday, March 18, from 4.30pm to 7pm, at The Three Counties Hotel, with a mix of presentations and workshops.
Councillor Roger Phillips, Leader of Herefordshire Council, said: “We are using the conference to gauge a national and regional perspective on what is possible in Herefordshire, but we are also keen to create a forum for discussion and debate involving communities and businesses.”
One of the ways forward is to work closely with local communities to look at localised solutions to address broadband coverage, and the conference will include a presentation by the Community Broadband Network with examples of how local areas have worked together to improve services. Additionally, businesses have challenges not just on coverage but also bandwidth and this will also be a topic for the conference.
Natalia Silver, Herefordshire Council’s head of economic and community services, said: “The concern is that as a county we could just wait for market forces to improve coverage, however the problem facing many rural areas is that there are not enough customers for companies to justify the investment. However, we need to make sure businesses and communities do not lose out, and that companies decide not to locate to the county because of its limited broadband coverage.”
The conference is suitable for community representatives, local businesses, internet service providers, providers of internet content, community services e.g. rural shops and community centres, councillors and statutory and voluntary sector organisations.
The event is free, but early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. To register please contact 01432-260638 or email to kamos@herefordshire.gov.uk no later than March 12, 2010.