West of England Metro Mayor secures almost £750k for digital connectivity improvements

Published by

Nicky Godding

More local people will be able to get online in broadband “not spots” thanks to a cash injection of £498,000 secured by Metro Mayor Dan Norris who leads the West of England Combined Authority.

The cash from the government, together with a £250,000 investment from the Combined Authority, will help to identify how 5G can be used to rapidly improve mobile connectivity across the West of England, and get everyone working closely together to update digital infrastructure.

With more people working, studying, shopping and playing online, better connectivity is more important than ever.

On average we each spend over three and a half hours online every day. More than a quarter of retail sales are online, and three-quarters of people use online banking. But the vital digital infrastructure has not kept pace, especially in some more rural areas.

West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “This investment will help more local people get the internet access they need and deserve. The West of England Combined Authority which I lead will now accelerate the roll-out of wireless networks so more people can get online more easily. This should especially help people living and working in our more rural communities. At the moment some of the most beautiful places to live are let down by poor access to the online world which is vital for success today. This is a great step forward to fix this.”

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.