DC09-309 October 5, 2009
New BT regional director predicts new technology could spark a “golden age” for the South West
The new South West head of one of the region’s largest private sector employers today called for “a new partnership” to help shrug off the recession and fully exploit the immense opportunities offered by new technology.
Jon Reynolds, 43, who today becomes BT’s South West regional director, believes that the region can achieve its full potential if all parts of the public and private sectors “work together as never before”.
“The South West is experiencing some of the toughest economic conditions of the past half century, but even as we grapple with these immediate problems immense opportunities are emerging,” he said.
“Increasingly, technology is helping to make the South West an ever more attractive place to do business as well as being a wonderful place to live.
“BT is investing billions of pounds across the UK in super-fast fibre-based broadband and the world-leading 21st Century Network (21CN), but no single company or organisation can provide all the answers. It is vital that all of us in the South West work together as never before - and by ‘all’ I mean businesses large and small, local communities, local authorities and development agencies.
“We are happy to work with partners, sharing information in order that the region can get the best out of existing networks and the considerable investment taking place. By working together, we can help ensure that the whole of the South West, even very rural areas, are part of the broadband revolution and that businesses and households make best use of the technology.
“One positive aspect of the recession is that it has forced all of us to take a hard look at the way we do things and increased recognition of the need for change and innovation. Change is vital if we are to make the South West a more prosperous, successful place in this increasingly competitive world.
“Information and communications technology (ICT), which is already accounting for nearly half of Europe’s productivity growth*, is an essential part of sharpening the South West’s competitive edge. It is boosting the effectiveness and efficiency of organisations, allowing them to be more productive and to communicate better with their customers and clients.
“There could be a prosperous, golden age ahead for this region if we combine our tremendous resources and expertise. In recent years, there have been some excellent South West examples of the public and private sectors working together and I would like to see all parts working together even more effectively in the future.”
He recognises that the future of the South West is not just about super-fast broadband and 21CN. “In addition to big headline-grabbing investments such as super-fast broadband, a lot of work is being undertaken to find solutions for the relatively small number of people – less than one per cent of the South West population - who can’t get broadband at all for technical reasons.
“For example, we are currently testing Broadband Enabling Technology (BET), which can more than double the distance over which ADSL broadband can be delivered. If the tests develop as we hope, this initiative alone could remove many of the broadband not-spots existing in rural areas.”
BT directly employs about 7,000 people in the South West and has major centres in many of the region’s towns and cities. Each year it spends tens of millions of pounds with South West suppliers.
Jon Reynolds added: “BT is a key part of the fabric of the South West. The company’s operations and activities have an impact on every community and every part of society and business in the region.”
The father-of-four, who lives in North East Somerset, has worked for BT for 20 years, primarily in BT Government and BT Connections in Business. In addition to his South West regional director role, he is also public sector director for BT Wholesale, a post which puts him at the heart of the development of BT’s strategy on faster ‘next generation’ services. He is based in BT’s St Clements House building in Marsh Street, Bristol.
Jon Reynolds has lived in the South West since the age of three, being educated at Chiseldon Primary School, near Swindon; John Bentley School in Calne, Wiltshire, and then the University of Leeds.
His interests include golf, rugby and football and he is a governor of a secondary school.
END
* As stated by European Union Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding at the ‘Bridging the Broadband Gap’ conference in Brussels in 2007.
