The newly launched Access to Broadband Campaign is pleased to announce its first conference on the important subject of providing affordable broadband Internet access to the UK’s least-served areas. This conference is a key step towards helping to achieve the Government’s goal of "Broadband Britain" by 2005.

Over 150 delegates are expected to attend and hear leading speakers from Government, industry and the regional and rural broadband community address the issues most affecting the take-up of broadband Internet services in the worst served areas of the UK.

More than one quarter of the UK population lives outside the reach of both Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable modem access, two of the major "last mile" technologies for providing broadband connections in the UK. As a result, many communities, from isolated homes and businesses to sizeable market towns, are currently unable to enjoy the multitude of broadband benefits that derive from it’s always-on nature and its much higher data transfer speeds that are ten times or more greater than those for conventional dial-up Internet access.

The one-day conference, organised by the Access to Broadband Campaign, will address how to bridge the ‘digital divide’ separating those with access to broadband from those without. It will provide a particular focus upon wireless as the major "last mile" broadband solution for remote and rural areas. John Wilson, one of the ABC founders and Conference Chair says "We will explore the way ahead and address obstacles such as radio spectrum regulations and access to back-haul for community projects".

The July 9^th ABC conference to be held at City Point in London will provide a tightly focussed platform for Government, industry, community and other stakeholders to explore the way ahead to improved broadband access through presentations, round table sessions and practical workshops.

The conference programme covers:

• The Broadband Britain Challenge;
• Technology and Regulation: Wireless Solutions
• Community Networks Roundtable;
• Progressing the Rural and Regional Agenda.

Key speakers - experts from industry and government as well as the leading figures in Rural and Regional Broadband development include: Joe Sonke from the Radio Communications Agency; Lindsey Annison of Edenfaster, a leading campaigner for rural broadband projects; officials and executives from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Broadband Task Force, the Broadband Stakeholder Group, Regional Development Agencies and industry. Internationally renowned Professor Peter Cochrane CTO of ConceptLabs and former CTO of British Telecommunications will deliver the keynote address.

ABC co-founder Erol Ziya says: "Moving the broadband agenda forward is vital to the industry, the development of our rural areas and regions and consequently our competitiveness as a nation. We are delighted that this conference, ABC’s first, has attracted so many of the top experts in this field as well as the support of influential bodies such as the Broadband Stakeholder Group and Digital Dales. This conference is an important step in the right direction towards achieving Broadband Britain."

Conference location: Simmons & Simmons

CityPoint

One Ropemaker Street

London EC2Y 9SS

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Notes to the Editor.

The Access to Broadband Campaign (ABC) was set up by four individuals, two of whom were involved in the successful Campaign for Unmetered Telecomms (CUT) and two involved in building local community networks.

The Access to Broadband Campaign (ABC) is a membership-based champion of the community stakeholder interest in Broadband Britain. ABC aims to:

• Accelerate the deployment of broadband Internet access across the whole of the rural and urban UK
• Make broadband Internet access as affordable and accessible as possible to all members of the community
• Help bridge the digital divide by promoting local broadband projects for community regeneration

Simmons & Simmons is a leading City Law firm with extensive experience in technology related business.

For further details on other matters contact the organisers through the links noted above or on the website.