Transcript The Digital Agenda for Local and Regional Development – “Sharing” Who we are and why we care • Birmingham – an Urban Digital.

The Digital Agenda for Local and Regional Development –
“Sharing”
Who we are and why we care
• Birmingham – an Urban Digital City
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Vibrant mix of companies: 12,500+ digital and creative companies, a rise of 30% since 2005.
UK’s hub for games, serious games and interactive digital media: home to 21% of the UK games workforce
GVA amounts to over £2bn for the digital and creative sector
• What’s the Problem
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Absence of affordable high speed digital infrastructure
Business innovation is stifled and throttled
Business growth and expansion stalled
UK Government is only funding rural areas
No national framework for approaching the EU on ultra fast broadband
Current EU state aid guidelines make European countries less competitive against other worldwide broadband development in South
Korea, Australia, Japan – mostly funded through the state.
• We want your support and views to make this an important issue for the Commission to address
What is our “NEW IDEA”
- Establish a Digital District: Not new – but will create a pathway for other cities
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An open access network that provides a platform for the delivery of a range of innovative and enhanced services to the market
Access to businesses to a minimum of 100mbps symmetrical services up to 40Gbps
Lower the costs of connection and rental to end businesses
Delivered in partnership with the private sector
The Digital Agenda for Local and Regional Development –
“Sharing”
Why do I think my idea will work for me
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Enable a generational step change in digital infrastructure
Provide the platform for unleashing new services and innovative applications
Create a thriving economic hub that drives economic growth and jobs for neighbouring regions
Encourage competition in the provision of IT and telecoms to drive down prices
Steps taken already
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Met with Neelie Kroes in Birmingham – don’t let state aid be a barrier
Met Miguel Gil Tertre, Diginfso in Brussels
Great support from John Doyle and Ken Ducatel
Informal submission of business case to Wouter Peke, Head of State Aids for Broadband
Outline bid for European Regional Development Funds
Why my idea is replicable and what’s needed to go viral
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Establish gateway for cities to progress urban broadband deployments
Establish commonalities in approach
Stimulate economic growth and job opportunities in cities
Share outcomes, economic case and act as mentor for other cities
Support the EU to delivery its Digital Agenda 2020 broadband targets,