East Midlands Development Agency (emda) has today launched a
£400,000 fund to help rural communities and businesses get
connected to 21st century broadband technology. The funding has
come from the European Union which approved a European Economic
Recovery Plan (EERP) last year to help reduce the impacts of the
recession.
emda has been awarded £400,000 through the EERP to invest
in rural broadband initiatives through the existing Rural
Development Programme for England, which it manages on behalf of
the region. This funding will be used to support rural communities
in upgrading existing Information, Communications and Technology
(ICT) infrastructure, and enable the early use of next generation
solutions.
As Andrew Morgan, emda's Skills and Communities Director,
explained: "Digital technologies and the underlying networks are
critical to any modern economy, and will play a major role in
boosting productivity and steering Britain out of recession. But
the quality of broadband in many rural parts of the East Midlands
is threatening competitiveness and could inhibit future sustainable
economic development. This funding will help to address the
problem, and we are keen to support projects that address market
failure, improve local services and stimulate economic development
and social inclusion.
"Broadband continues to be an important issue at a national
level, and the Coalition Government has stated its commitment to
ensuring that all parts of the UK have access to a minimum
broadband speed of two megabits (mbps) per second. It is important
that we play our part in ensuring rural communities have the same
broadband opportunities as those in urban areas."
To apply for funding, applicants need to complete an expression
of interest form by Monday 13th September 2010. Due to the limited
funding available, expressions of interest will not be considered
for projects which already have access to regular broadband speed
of over two mbps. Projects that meet the criteria for funding will
then be required to complete a full application form. Guidance and
all the relevant paperwork are available on www.emda.org.uk/rdpe or
contact Lucy Pike (Economic Development Manager) on 0115 988 8477 /
lucypike@emd.org.uk for further information.
The launch of the £400,000 rural broadband fund follows on
from an emda-hosted event held earlier this year which brought
together 80 key stakeholders from across the East Midlands to
explore the digital issues facing rural communities and businesses.
At the event, public and private sector delegates put forward their
views about how the East Midlands could shape its approach to
ensuring access to affordable, next generation, super-fast
broadband in rural areas. The feedback from this event has been
used in setting the criteria for accessing the £400,000 rural
broadband fund. It has also helped to shape a new rural broadband
manifesto, which sets out an agenda for future activity.