DIGITAL DERBYSHIRE. Delivering the county s biggest ever broadband transformation

Transcription

1 Delivering the county s biggest ever broadband transformation

2 Digital Derbyshire delivering our biggest broadband transformation We need as many people as possible to back our Digital Derbyshire campaign by registering their demand for better broadband. Digital Derbyshire is bringing the biggest ever upgrade of broadband speeds in Derbyshire. Derbyshire County Council is leading the Digital Derbyshire campaign to meet two key targets by 2015: Superfast broadband (up to 30mbs) will be available to 90% of Derbyshire premises A minimum speed of 2mbs will be available to the remaining 10% Currently, there are a wide range of broadband speeds available across the county. There are over 180,000 properties in so called white areas in Derbyshire, where connection speeds are currently less than 2mbs. White areas, many of which are rural, will be targeted for upgrade in the Digital Derbyshire programme, and many other areas will benefit too. The county council has made broadband improvements one of its top priorities. It has secured 7.39m from the Government s Broadband Delivery UK scheme and pledged match funding to ensure at least 14.78m will be spent across the county on broadband improvements by How you can help Your voice can make a huge difference to our Digital Derbyshire programme to bring fast and reliable broadband to Derbyshire. Key to maximising the success of the scheme is demonstrating a high level of demand for better broadband in Derbyshire. Basically, the greater demand we can show for better broadband in Derbyshire from both households and businesses the more interest and investment we are likely to attract from private companies. We need as many people as possible to back our Digital Derbyshire campaign by registering their demand for better broadband. It will only take a couple of minutes and you ll be under no obligation to sign up for a service. Your input could have a huge impact on the level of broadband improvements which Digital Derbyshire achieves. Go to to complete the short form or ring Digital Derbyshire delivering our biggest broadband transformation

3 Could you champion the cause for improved broadband in your area? Digital Derbyshire is working to bring fast and reliable broadband to Derbyshire. To do this successfully we need the support of as many people as possible in all areas of the county. We ve already got an army of volunteers working alongside us as Digital Derbyshire Broadband Champions, making a real difference in the communities where they live. And we re keen to recruit more Digital Derbyshire Broadband Champions to help us spread the word about the fantastic work which is taking place. The role of a Digital Derbyshire Broadband Champion Broadband Champions act as the eyes and ears of the Digital Derbyshire programme out in their communities. You don t need to be technically savvy to be a broadband champion, but you will need time, energy, and drive to improve broadband in your area. As a Derbyshire Broadband Champion you will be able to: Help spread information about the Digital Derbyshire programme in your community Ensure your community s views are heard Gather information which is needed to aid the Digital Derbyshire programme Promote the benefits of superfast broadband, generating interest and ideas on how your community can benefit from it Co-ordinate or attend local events to help people understand the difference superfast broadband could make to their lives Create links with businesses, voluntary and community groups, and other local organisations Derbyshire Broadband Champions will need to be available for just a few hours per week, although this may be more at key times in the programme. We ll provide you with regular updates to share with your community and materials to help you spread the word about the work of Digital Derbyshire. If you re interested in becoming a Derbyshire Broadband Champion broadband@derbyshire.gov.uk or call or Digital Derbyshire Broadband Champion

4 A world of opportunities Brenda and Eddie Brenda and Eddie, a former miner, have used the internet since Brenda started helping with the financial accounts of her son s business. And their web use has been growing ever since including carrying out banking, home shopping and entertainment. Brenda added: We use the internet to access our bank accounts and pay bills. It means we can go on-line to immediately check how much money is in our account and what we re spending. Distance is no barrier to Brenda and Eddie Coupe when it comes to keeping in touch with friends living on the other side of the world. Brenda (71) and Eddie (74) are among a growing number of so called silver surfers who are making day-to-day life easier by making the most of broadband. And being on-line offers a golden opportunity for the North Wingfield couple when it comes to keeping in touch with friends who now live abroad. Brenda said: We ve got friends who moved from Bolsover to live in Hamilton, New Zealand, and the internet makes it really quick and easy for us to keep in touch. We sometimes shop on-line and have used sites such as Amazon to buy presents. And the internet is really helpful for doing searches for information. For example, I d never call a premium rate telephone number I d always go online and find an alternative local rate telephone number to keep the cost of the call down. And Brenda and Eddie have moved with the times when it comes to their favourite pastimes. We both like playing Scrabble and the internet means we re able to play on-line with friends, said Brenda. Using the internet has brought many opportunities and had a positive impact in many areas of our lives. I ve also got a former colleague from my days working in the physiotherapy department at Walton Hospital who now lives in Perth, Australia, who I regularly keep in touch with. The internet makes it so easy. We exchange s and sometimes use Skype where we can see each other as we talk. We both like playing Scrabble and the internet means we re able to play on-line with friends Digital Derbyshire A world of opportunities

5 Building stronger business Nest UK Innovative company Nest UK is winning contracts across the globe from its base in rural Derbyshire by harnessing the power of broadband. Bosses at the Hathersage firm, which produces the TUMTUM children s cutlery and tableware range, say they have built their company s success on the opportunities which faster broadband brings. Andrew Stokes, who runs Nest UK with wife Suzanne, said: Our entire business is based around using broadband, which means we can compete in a global marketplace from our rural base. Everything we do is on-line from straightforward s, to uploading and downloading large files, to sending data to manufacturers in China. Having a reliable connection which allows us to use Skype, where we can see people as we talk online, is great for us as we discuss details with clients in places including France, Australia, the USA and Hong Kong. We spend hours at a time talking to them. Most of the people we deal with speak very good English but being able to speak face-to-face, despite being thousands of miles away, means you can make sure you both have a proper understanding of the conversation. Nest UK produces a range of innovative children s dining products under its TUMTUM brand, created to put the fun back into healthy eating. Digital Derbyshire Building stronger business Among its successes are cutlery including a fork with a bowl shape to contain peas, removable grippy sleeves on cutlery handles and scooping corners in bowls to make it easier for children to eat. The company, which is based at Hathersage Hall Business Centre, is also expanding its design work, including for leading brands such as John Lewis. The faster and more reliable broadband connection we have, the more profitable our business is likely to be and we welcome the work of Digital Derbyshire, added Andrew. The Peak District is an amazing place to base our business. Companies in rural settings like ours need the best possible broadband connection so that we can compete on a level playing field with city based companies. When we speak to clients, particularly those overseas, they tell us that reliable communication is a key element when awarding contracts. Andrew added: Our whole company is cloud based meaning our files, accounting and management systems are stored on-line rather than being on individual computers. The faster the internet connection, the faster we can access them, and the more efficient we become.

6 Internet terms: unpicking the jargon The internet continues to rapidly change the way we live. The language surrounding it evolves at a fast pace too and it is easy to be bamboozled by the jargon. Here we look at some of the key terms: Digital Derbyshire Derbyshire County Council s programme to deliver the county s biggest ever transformation of broadband speeds. BDUK Broadband Delivery UK is the Government s programme working to improve broadband infrastructure across the country. Derbyshire County Council s Digital Derbyshire campaign was awarded 7.39m from the BDUK programme. Dial-up internet Prior to the arrival of broadband, all internet connections relied on using a home phone line. Some households still do. It is slow to connect, has slow download speeds, and means the home phone line cannot be used for telephone calls at the same time as internet usage. Broadband A range of technologies which allow high-speed access to the internet. Download speeds must be 512kbps or more to be classed as broadband. Fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) Fibre optic cable is laid from the area s main telephone exchange to cabinets in streets. Copper telephone lines carry the broadband connection from the cabinet to individual properties. Fibre-to-the-property (FTTP) Fibre optic cable runs from the area s main exchange directly to individual premises. Generally, this means much faster connection speeds. However, the cost of FTTP is often greater than other broadband technologies and its use is restricted to densely populated areas. Internet Service Provider (ISP) An internet service provider offers a retail internet package to consumers. This is a very competitive marketplace. Wholesale network provider The company which owns and manages the infrastructure over which ISPs deliver their services. Kilobits per second (Kbps) and Megabits per second (Mbps) the measurement of internet connection speeds is measured in Kbps and Mbps, with 1,000 Kbps making up 1Mbps. Download speeds checking your current broadband speed is easy to do via a number of free sites which do not require any software downloading. Visit for an up-to-date list. White areas over 180,000 homes and businesses in Derbyshire are classified as being in white areas Basic broadband white area not currently receiving speeds above 2Mbps and not included in any commercial plans for the next three years Superfast broadband white area not currently receiving broadband speeds above 15Mbps and not included in any commercial plans for next three years Office for Communications (Ofcom) The Office for Communications (Ofcom) regulates the telecommunications industry in the UK. Superfast broadband Digital Derbyshire is working to deliver broadband connections of up to 30Mbps to 90% of Derbyshire homes and businesses by Standard broadband Digital Derbyshire is working to deliver broadband connections of 2Mbps to the remaining 10% of Derbyshire homes and businesses by Digital Derbyshire Internet terms

7 NEEDS YOU! We re delivering Derbyshire s biggest ever broadband transformation. The greater demand we can show for faster connections the more investment we re likely to attract. We need as many people as possible to complete our demand registration at: