Suffolk Campaign To Get Superfast Broadband

2 December 2010, 12:42 | Updated: 2 December 2010, 12:50

A new campaign's starting today to get super-fast broadband brought to Suffolk.

The campaign is looking at 5 key areas in which they think super-fast broadband will help, these are Better business, Better health-care, Better education, Better entertainment and Better society.

'Choose Suffolk' who are running the campaign want to stress that they want to improve business education. Andy Wood a spokesman from the campaign said, "We want businesses to sign up but we also want schools and colleges to join us too. We know that giving a child who has not had internet access via broadband that access results in an increase in attainment in their GCSEs. For that reason we are asking people to sign up."

Under current plans by the government, by 2015, one third of Suffolk will have access to Super-fast Broadband. However, the campaign claims this will still leave half a million people without the access they need which may harm Suffolk's social welfare and economic success in the future.

Andy Wood, added "Our conversations with the Minister for Communications Ed Vaizey have gone well but we need to make sure our collective voices are heard louder and clearer than ever before".

BT say Super-fast broadband would increase the speed to a minimum of 40Mb/s. For example, this means a family could be watching different high definition (HD) movies, while others are gaming or working online.  Music tracks could be downloaded in less than five seconds.

The campaign is urging anyone in Suffolk, either as an individual or on behalf of a business, to sign up now to help Suffolk at: www.choosesuffolk.com/betterbroadbandforsuffolk

Meanwhile, Norfolk is still running a similar campaign to get faster broadband, and also to fix its 'not spots' which are places when regular broadband is not available at all. They are asking people to get involved by signing their petition online, and following the links on their website to show BT there is enough demand for it.

Mike Burrows, deputy chairman of Shaping Norfolk's Future, said "Businesses regularly complain about the lack of broadband coverage, particularly in rural areas, and we are determined to do something about it. High speed broadband will enable Norfolk's businesses to become more competitive and will help create and sustain thousands of jobs in the county."