Peter Cromar - Birmingham

Next Generation Roadshow Birmingham

22nd April 2009

Transforming Economic Performance – The wider benefits of NGA

Dr Peter CromarWalsall Regeneration Company

Copyright Walsall Regeneration Company 2009

• International take up

• Pace and volume of change

• Lack of buy in by UK plc

• Establish ‘Regeneration Pilots’

NGA - missing the opportunity


Response to the Carter Report

• Avoid complacency

• Benchmark against Far East & Europe

• Focus needs to be on economy, regeneration and societal benefits, not ICT

• NGAB as an investment in infrastructure

• Contribution to wider sustainability agenda


Convincing government and business

• Key communications infrastructure for success

• Future proofing new developments

• Aggregating public sector demand

• Digital and Creative Industries

• Digital Divide & Digital Inclusion

• Improve IT awareness for SMEs


Setting the agenda

• Tomorrow’s business needs

• Focus on Skills, Enterprise and Business

• Think about new markets

• Expand existing markets


• Education

• Entertainment

• Health

• Housing

• Commercial

Walsall – a Town for Enterprise


Walsall Gigaport – moving forward


• Outline Planning Permission in place

• Revised Outline Funding Application to AWM

• Next Generation Access Broadband

• Data Centre

• Developers

• Investment Prospectus

• Finance, Health, Digital Media

Hitting the Sustainable Communities Agenda

• Regeneration of underperforming urban centres and neighbourhoods

• Sustain strong and stable existing communities

• Promote social cohesion

• Use public sector assets more effectively

• Community Empowerment


Bridging the Digital Divide

• Potential of fibre optics

• Skills and enterprise development

• Better and more responsive health services

• Community and social cohesion

• Learn from Onsnet


Conclusions

• Engage locally from the outset

• Focus on delivery not strategy

• Build on local strengths

• Investment not funding

• Think global, act local


Technology

Peter Cromar - Birmingham