Member Article

Stockport ‘Fibre for Breakfast’ event highlights benefits for business of digital growth

Stockport Council, in partnership with BT, is hosting an event to showcase the possibilities the opportunities that enhanced connectivity and digital technology offer to businesses.

The free seminar take place on Wednesday 26th November 2014 between 8.00am and 10.00am at the town’s Deanwater Hotel.

High speed fibre broadband is being rolled out across areas of Stockport as part of the £15 million Get Digital Faster programme. Through its programme of investment, Get Digital Faster will give businesses the opportunity to access faster and more reliable download and upload speeds in areas where connectivity has lagged behind.

‘Fibre for Breakfast’ will highlight the opportunities digital technology and enhanced connectivity can offer to companies, as they seek to grow and develop.

It will also explain the range of support on offer to businesses and hear from local companies that have experienced growth as a result of embracing digital technology.

Chairing the event will be Luis Troyano, Co-founder and Director of Forever Creative in Cheadle, and finalist in this year’s Great British Bake Off.

His marketing agency puts digital technology at the forefront of the organisation. When not baking cakes on television, Luis leads on the development and delivery of a number of digital marketing solutions.

Councillor Patrick McAuley, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, said: “The project is still fairly new – it launched in July with the first cabinet going live in Oldham, so already we are taking significant steps towards making Greater Manchester one of the world’s top 20 digital cities by 2020.

“I would encourage companies to book a place on the ‘Fibre for Breakfast’ event and discover how enhanced connectivity and digital technology could give businesses a real boost.”

Mike Blackburn, BT’s regional director for the North West, said: “High speed broadband is vital for many small and medium businesses and this event will show firms in Stockport its real value.

“Businesses want to thrive and not just survive and this new fibre network will give many businesses the edge in a high competitive local economy.”

The £15 million Get Digital Faster partnership is being delivered by Transport for Greater Manchester and BT on behalf of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

The partnership will use public and private sector funds to bring high-speed broadband to 45,000 homes and businesses by March 2016 in areas outside of commercial roll-out plans.

The European Development Fund North West has provided £4.9 million, BT has provided £4.6 million, and £3 million is from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK).

The local authorities (Stockport, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Trafford, Rochdale, Tameside and Wigan) have invested £2.5 million between them.

Full details of the ‘Fibre for Breakfast’ event are available by sending an email with name, company details and contact information to econdev@stockport.gov.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .