Launch date - 29th September 2004
Essex Broadband Partnership is led by Essex County Council and the Essex Online Partnership, and was officially launched by Stephen Castle, the County Council's Cabinet Member for Information and Communication Technology.
There are number of partners including the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), Business Link for Essex, BT, NTL, and the Thames Gateway Partnership.
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Cllr Castle, who is also a director of an Essex business, was joined by the key-note speaker John Snyder, who is the Entrepreneur in Residence at Cambridge University, and newly appointed BT Regional Manager for the East of England Alan Baldwin who outlined BT's support for the partnership initiative. |
The key focus for the partnership will be to boost broadband Internet use in Essex. The new partnership is open to both the business and public sectors. Its primary aim will be to bring broadband possibilities to the entire county. It will work in every corner of the county to encourage small and medium size enterprises to embrace broadband Internet and the potential it offers.
The reason the partnership has been set up is to help business and public sector organisations compete better at the regional, national and international level - thereby enhancing the economy of Essex as a whole for the benefit of all who live and work in the county.
Cllr Castle said: "This exciting new partnership is being launched to help businesses and public sector organisations embrace the best and latest technology and the benefits they confer."
Peter McCarthy Ward, BT Regional Director for East of England said " BT is delighted to be partnering Essex County Council in its drive to ensure the County is at the forefront in the availability and use of broadband"