In September 2009 Babcock International Group, a leading service provider to the communications industry, teamed up with the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and its members to actively engage with interested local business parties to explore the feasibility of deploying a sustainable open access digital wireless network to meet the needs of local enterprise.
In this joint press release we are delighted to announce that it’s happening! Following the completion of a successful business model and design stage, Babcock will be delivering a network initially covering the City centre and a number of business areas within Norwich. There are further plans to extend this to other areas of demand in the future.
Babcock will be building a network, to enable national and local service providers to offer businesses and public sectors in Norwich a range of bespoke broadband services that will offer high capacity local access services. This will allow real time business connectivity and provide greater technical and commercial flexibility. As part of their strategy, Babcock has been working with both Norfolk based and national digital application and solution providers to develop new opportunities and services for the business community as well as looking to enhance tourism, retail and local community services through web based hand held devices. Babcock will continue to work with local businesses and the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce to use this network as a test bed to develop further services which will benefit the community.
The first stage of this next generation network (NGN) is scheduled to be live by early summer and will be the first step in ensuring that Norwich is at the forefront of Digital Britain. Details on product, services and applications that will be deployed on this Digital Network will be announced at the B2B10 Spring event on Wednesday 31st March 2010.
Caroline Williams Chief Executive Norfolk Chamber of Commerce commented “This is the good news on broadband Norwich has been waiting for. This investment will improve the communication infrastructure in Norwich supporting existing business but will also help attract further economic development. “.
Richard Lewis Project Director, Next Generation Networks commented “We are delighted to bring our skills and experience to this project which will provide high capacity wireless broadband to the people and businesses of Norwich. We look forward to working with the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce on this project which will bring significant benefit to the region.
The benefits of the NGN Business Services will be launched at Norfolk’s Largest Business Exhibition B2B Spring 2010 - free to attend visit
www.B2B10.co.uk
And key stakeholders and local businesses commented….
"We are pleased that Babcock is investing in Norwich, any broadband initiative in Norfolk is positive news and will hopefully stimulate demand and further interest in broadband. A good quality broadband service is critical to the success of the economy of Norwich and Norfolk" Chris Starkie, Chief Executive, Shaping Norfolk's Future.
“On the face of it, this looks like being very good news indeed for businesses based in central Norwich. Over the next few weeks and months we will be looking closely at the technology and seeing how we can best utilise it to benefit our clients and the wider business community alike. We see this as a very positive first step in bringing the broadband speed to Norfolk that companies have been recently crying out for” Peter Davies Chairman of Breakwater IT
FreeClix operations director Steve Batson is delighted “We welcome the first phase of this innovative move from Babcock. It will further serve to raise Norfolk’s profile – and that is good for us all”.
Peter Freeman technical director added “This will allow us to reach beyond our existing infrastructure to new areas and new clients. “Norfolk companies will be provided with a major alternative to the huge international operators. That, in turn, will give us an opportunity to provide local businesses with immediate access to our own Norwich based data centre and may also allow us to examine ways of reducing current leased line costs.”