Broadband provision

The Government is making funding available to improve our broadband speeds and coverage. Calderdale Council wants to ensure that we take advantage of this and maximize the opportunity for our businesses and residents. Below are listed some of the reasons why and how we are starting this process.

Calderdale’s broadband provision is mixed with many areas suffering from no or slow provision with ribbons of good coverage.

Ranking Calderdale in Yorkshire and Humberside terms of broadband speed and coverage, we are about average. The risk is in not keeping up with technical advances and reducing societal benefits and our competitive advantage.

An improved digital infrastructure supports businesses

The move towards more advanced ICT supports all businesses such as in Cloud Computing and advances in media technology such as You-View; provision is becoming a fundamental aspect of the critical infrastructure for the district. Having high quality digital infrastructure acts as an inward investment tool and enables businesses to reduce costs and compete in the global market place.

An improved digital infrastructure can help children at school and save you money

Kids, on average, will achieve 2 GCSE grades higher if they have broadband access at home. Families save on average £560 per year shopping and comparing products on line.

An improved digital infrastructure creates jobs

In the short-term there needs to be infrastructure, for example cable channels and masts, all of which create jobs in the building and construction sector. In the long term there will be product benefits as described below. This creates competitive advantages when compared to other countries and localities thereby providing more jobs.

There can be huge savings to Government, local authorities, and individual citizens; all generating new business and profitability. Econometrics+ analysis of 120 countries found that for every 10% increase in the penetration of broadband services, there is an increase in economic growth of 1.3%. By providing both access and faster line-speeds the percentage of businesses that develop new products (product innovation), increases by 18.8%.

An improved digital infrastructure creates higher productivity. This is because the digital infrastructure allows for quicker uploading and downloading of information, increasing productivity in knowledge enterprises, increases working time and creates possibilities for more effective processes. This net £ increase is estimated to be between 5% and 10% in terms of overall productivity gains (GDP). Calderdale's GDP in 2009 was £3.5b; this investment could result in an increase of £175m-£350m / annum GDP to our local economy.

Transport is a major contributor to CO2 emissions. In 2008, transportation was responsible for one quarter of the UKs CO2 emissions, with Calderdale only slightly behind the national average. The transportation sector has an important role to play in terms of satisfying both the climate targets in the Kyoto agreement to ensure 20 percent less CO2 in 2020 when compared with 1990; and our local targets. A 5 % fall in transportation needs nationally (equivalent to working one day from home per month, or by replacing every twentieth business trip with a video conference) gives 7% of that required to meet the Kyoto target for the UK. This same reduction in journeys will remove over 13,000 tons of CO2 locally per year.

Calderdale Council is now developing a digital ‘data room’. This will be a map of the district showing the use, capability and coverage in all areas of the district. This will enable us to target and tailor intervention specifically relevant for your area.

Your feedback

To summarise the feedback received:

Of the 315 resident respondents to the Calderdale wide survey:

65% lose their connection sometimes or regularly
41% complain of a very slow or useless service
89% would sign up for superfast broadband
46% would be willing to sign up to Superfast Broadband in advance and pay a deposit
57% do some work from home using their broadband connection
10% of those that don’t work from home blame poor connectivity and
1% blame poor security.

And a few quotes . . .

“The Calderdale economy would be boosted by superfast broadband, enabling internet-based firms to operate here as a preferred location.”

“a possible consideration in any future home move.”

Of the 58 business respondents to the Calderdale wide survey 60% lose their connection sometimes or regularly.

Contracts
Would your company / organisation be willing to sign up to a Superfast Broadband contract? (56 responses)

Yes 49 [87.5%]
No 7 [12.5%].

And a few quotes …

“Our business would greatly benefit as we are currently losing customers due to the time it takes our customers to download from our server. High speed broadband is essential to the future of our business and safeguarding our jobs.”

“It would make day to day running of the business more efficient. ..... Trying to use Skype or Google Chat is very unreliable with my current connection.”