Shoreditch Leads Broadband Expansion
Residents in London’s Shoreditch area are set to lead one of the most innovative broadband expansions in Europe, with the Shoreditch Digital Bridge (SDB) going online early next year, marking a significant step towards the Government’s pledge that all UK households will have broadband access by 2008.
The scheme will give residents access to a revolutionary “PC on TV” service, allowing them to use email and word processing, as well as access to Homechoice TV and telephony with 55 digital television channels, video on demand and free evening and weekend phone calls.
The SDB will initially launch as a pilot to 1,000 tenants of the Haberdasher and Charles Square Estate in Shoreditch, before rolling out to the remaining 20,000 residents. The scheme also allows users to upgrade their package and add broadband internet speeds of up to 8MB.
Commenting on the initiative, Roger Lynch, chairman and chief executive of Video Networks, said: “Video Networks is committed to driving digital TV and broadband take-up. Our partnership with the Shoreditch Digital Bridge not only provides an affordable solution for those who do not have access to a PC or are unable to afford the current multi-channel TV products on the market, it also helps the Government with its plans to deliver public services electronically and ensuring everyone has access to the online economy.”
James Morris, Shoreditch Trust commercial and development director, continued: “This project will demonstrate how the new technologies can be at the forefront of regenerating some of our most deprived communities.”
He added: “Providing broadband access has the potential to free working families in the 2000s in the same way council house sales did in the 1980s. The benefits of the internet should not be the preserve of a small elite, they should be open to everyone.”
According to internet measurement specialist Nielsen//NetRatings, almost three quarters of UK internet users are accessing websites through high speed connections, representing a growth of 59% in broadband take-up in just one year (see Nielsen Lifts Lid On Broadband Usage).
This healthy performance is attributed to service providers lowering costs due to increased competition within the market place, with satellite giant, BSkyB, recently announcing its plans to enter into the broadband industry, purchasing internet service provider EasyNet for £211 million (see Sky Nets ISP For Triple Play Services).
HomeChoice: 0800 072 4454 www.homechoice.co.uk