The Let Brighton Bid campaign is all about a prosperous future for Brighton and Hove.
Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for culture, Olympics, media and sport, has chosen not to include Brighton and Hove as one of the 14 cities across the UK to be targeted for ultra-fast broadband.
Brighton and Hove missed out on a spot in that list seemingly because its population falls slightly short of the Government’s threshold.
But if Mr Hunt listens to the Let Brighton Bid campaign I think he will see the numbers do add up.
We have to be ambitious and in order to drive the city forward we need to make sure we are an attractive destination.
What is Brighton and Hove known for? It is a destination for tourists, conferences and students but it is also a destination for business.
Over the years we have developed a reputation as a centre for the digital media industry and this is a sector we should be doing everything we can to harness that reputation.
Digital sector
Wired Sussex now has 2,300 members. Each of those is an organisation with employees who are bringing something to the city. They are paying taxes, using local traders and stimulating growth.
It is in everyone’s interest to maintain and nurture this sector. Ultra-fast broadband would benefit the entire city and that’s why we should all get behind the bid.
At a time of austerity it’s more important that ever that we do everything we can to ensure businesses want to come to Brighton and Hove and that they want to stay here.
If we are not able to bid for this fund then we are going to be playing catch-up with other cities at a time when we should be leading the way.
This is a time for us to be bold. We need to show the secretary of state there is that strength of feeling within the city, that we are looking to the future and that we deserve to be recognised for that.
We need to show the ambition we have and force the Government to recognise that.
The secretary of state has decided to set bids for the Urban Broadband Fund at a seemingly arbitrary level of cities with more than 150,000 households. With 125,000 in Brighton and Hove we are just below that level but our message has to be that we have a case that is too compelling to be ignored.
It is absolutely right that the Government wants to prioritise disadvantaged areas where personal access to broadband is limited. But there are two sides to this project – one is to ensure everyone has the option of getting online and the second is to ensure businesses are given the tools to succeed. For us the second goal has to be the priority.
This is not just about the digital sector. The internet is a valuable tool for any business and at a time like this we need to be encouraging new businesses and new opportunities.
Growing reputation
Whether that is a one-man band or a corporation the size of American Express, Brighton and Hove needs to be the destination of choice.
Brighton and Hove’s reputation is growing internationally as well as nationally. It’s not at the stage where you could walk into a bar in San Francisco, say you’re from Brighton and Hove and people would be queueing up to buy you a drink but our reputation abroad is growing.
That is why it is so vital to build on that reputation.
In ten years’ time who knows, we could be rivalling any digital city in the world.
I am proud to be part of the Let Brighton Bid campaign and it has been great to see such widespread support.
As well as businesses we have seen politicians from across the political spectrum standing up to put the case forward for Brighton and The Argus is doing an excellent job in promoting the campaign.
The message to Jeremy Hunt is simple – let us bid. The point of his project is to demonstrate the use of ultra-fast broadband and where better to do that than Brighton and Hove. We have more potential than almost anyone and we should not shy away from telling the Government that.
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