Better broadland to boost business opportunity

The Government has pledged £114m towards its stated aim to make the UK the fastest place in Europe by 2015 in terms of broadband. It has been revealed how this funding is to be divided up between the UK’s top cities.

The money is to be used to build city-wide networks, offering homes and businesses speeds of up to 100Mbps. London will receive the largest chunk of £25m, followed by Leeds and Bradford, who will receive £14.4m between them. Belfast, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Newcastle will each receive substantial payments, and a further £50m is to be awarded to ten smaller cities.

Award-winning UK tech entrepreneur Dan Wagner, who has built four global multi-million pound tech companies and recently launched a new service which is empowering companies to take payments for their services on mobile phones, said: “Anything that helps set the right conditions for UK entrepreneurs to start new tech businesses is to be welcomed. The UK is a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit, but I know from my own experience that this is simply not enough to succeed. Much more could be done to help budding entrepreneurs and start up businesses, in particular in the tech field.”

Gareth Osborne, whose doctorate reflects his many years working in the high-tech business start-up arena warned that: “I totally support and agree with Dan but offer a word of caution. While it is possible for everyone to be entrepreneurial and start a business, spirit isn’t enough alone. Entrepreneurs have to have talent, guts, determination, a willingness to make and take a calculated risk and good financial backing; especially if they do well. Too few do have these components and too many fail. Government should concentrate on backing the package.

APA will offer help and guidance to all PA members looking to explore their entrepreneurial side.

APA