Let Brighton Bid: MPs campaign for ultra-fast broadband (From The Argus)

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Let Brighton Bid: MPs campaign for ultra-fast broadband

11:32am Thursday 12th January 2012 in Business News By John Keenan, business editor

A campaign has been launched by Caroline Lucas to make Brighton and Hove “super-connected”.

The Argus is backing the Green MP’s Let Brighton Bid campaign to gain ultra-fast broadband for the city.

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, has announced that 14 cities across the UK are being targeted for the ultra-fast broadband project.

The four capitals – London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast – will automatically qualify, with the rest being chosen through a competition.

This is currently open to cities that have more than 150,000 dwellings.

Digital sector

But the MP for Brighton Pavilion said that the importance of Brighton and Hove’s flourishing digital sector to the local economy makes it an ideal candidate for the scheme – and that its 125,000 dwellings put it very close to the threshold.

Dr Lucas has written to the Culture Secretary to make the case for Brighton and Hove’s bid, and is encouraging people in the city to join a Twitter campaign using the hashtag #LetBrightonBid to persuade him to support it.

She said: “Our city is home to one of the biggest and most successful digital sectors in the UK.

"It’s already growing three times faster than the national average and is delivering the majority of new local jobs.

“But if Brighton and Hove is to stay competitive and be a big digital player in the long term, we must be allowed to bid for some of the £100 million put aside for the Government’s ultra-fast broadband scheme.

“The city has the biggest cluster of digital businesses per head of population in the UK and a widely recognised digital alliance with Bristol and Manchester, so becoming a super-connected city is crucial to keep us at the forefront of the technology revolution.

“I hope Jeremy Hunt will listen to our appeal and agree to my invitation to meet a delegation of local representatives from the digital economy, so he can hear for himself the strong case for a super-connected Brighton and Hove.

“I also hope that my fellow MPs will join me in calling on the Government to give the city a chance to stay connected in the 21st century.”

Show support

Michael Beard, editor of The Argus, said the future of the digital industry in Brighton and Hove depended on the city gaining super-connectivity.

He said: “The digital industry is a jewel in Brighton’s crown.

"It leads the way in creating the highly skilled jobs that the city needs to capitalise on its strengths.

“The Argus calls on the Secretary of State to ‘let Brighton bid’ and to allow the city to show how it can take the lead in driving forward this vital part of the UK economy.”

Do you back calls to ‘Let Brighton Bid’?

The Argus is collecting supportive comments to pass on to the Secretary of State.

To have your say fill in the form at: www.theargus.co.uk/news/brightonbid.

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Comments(27)

Man With No Name says...
11:51am Thu 12 Jan 12

I wish I could get half decent broadband in Brighton, let alone superfast... if Brighton is successful would the whole of Brighton get superfast broadband or just the 'important' bits?