NorthernNet - Connecting the North at Light Speed

2nd December 2009

• A £15m business revolution for digital, new media and creative specialists
• Access to world class technology infrastructure and 100mpbs
• 13 Media Access Bureaus across the North - and more planned
• The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Northern Way have today revealed details of the NorthernNet project which will revolutionise collaboration, innovation and interaction between the Digital and Creative industries across the North.

The Northern Way has invested £9.4m, supported by a further £2.27m from the NWDA, in developing physical premises and a very high speed telecommunication network of 100Mbs (on average and upgradeable to 1 Gbps). For the first time, the Northwest, Yorkshire and the North East will have a single high speed, secure, digital network that connects the region's creative and digital industries and customers.

In addition a further £3.4m of Northern Way funding has been secured for the NorthernNET Innovation and Collaboration Programme. The aim of this programme is to encourage sector innovation and collaboration to develop a robust, competitive supply chain which will elevate the North to be a leading force in the European media industry. The project is managed and coordinated by Northwest Vision & Media from their base at MediaCityUK, working with delivery partners in the other Northern regions.

NorthernNet will also play a key role in the delivery of the BBC@North project which is designed to deliver greater creativity, collaboration and innovation for interactive services on CBBC and CBeebies to establish and strengthen the BBC's connections with the industry across the North of England.

Robert Hough, Chairman of the NWDA, said: "NorthernNet will help to break down technology barriers and allow our digital and creative businesses to interact and collaborate at exceptional speed, as if they were working on the same computer in the same office. Large file sizes will no longer be a hindrance to collaborative working either and companies right across the North can benefit from this infrastructure to compete and grow."

"We know that MediaCityUK will be a site of global importance in the digital and creative sector and now this joined-up network will spread that impact across the North of England."

Minister for Digital Britain Stephen Timms said: "It's essential for jobs and growth that businesses in the UK have access to high-speed networks, and I very much welcome this kind of cutting-edge venture.

"Access to this single, high-speed digital network will be a huge boost to creative and digital businesses across the north of England and Media Access Bureaus will ensure that as many as possible can profit from it."

Regional Economic Coordination Minister Rosie Winterton said: "This innovative project will help put businesses across the North of England at the forefront of the digital revolution.

"Technologies of the future will be key to the success of our regional economies and I congratulate the Northern Way and North West Development Agency for targeting investment at this initiative."

NorthernNet connects organisations and businesses from the Digital and Creative Industries with a high-performance, secure, reliable, network. NorthernNet Members will share information and work together quickly, efficiently and in innovative ways. NorthernNet aims to link content creators, content deliverers and content buyers or commissioners across the North of England more directly than ever before.

The network allows enormous files to be sent at incredible speeds and it is available to businesses as a direct connection and, for the first time ever, as pay-as-you-go via NorthernNet Media Access Bureaus, positioned across the three Northern regions.

Media Access Bureaus provide a range of dedicated equipment for creation, editing, archive and distribution of digital content over NorthernNET, within various locations including educational, cultural, creative and business venues across the North. There are fourteen currently ready to access*, with more planned in 2010.

A key strategic aim of MediaCityUK is to spread the impact and benefit across the North of England, helping to grow and develop the Digital & Creative sector. Through the use of high speed next generation fibre-optics, NorthernNET will connect a network of Digital and Creative Industrial clusters across the North with MediaCityUK at its heart.

Mercedes Clark-Smith, Project Director: NorthernNet, said: "Connecting the North through technology creates the infrastructure of the NorthernNET Innovation and Collaboration project. Connecting businesses through relationship building to collaborate and build the supply chain needed for this region to compete successfully in a multi-platform world is imperative.

Phil Woolas, Regional Minister for the North West: "The North West has the potential to be at the forefront of the digital revolution as it was in the first Industrial Revolution but it is vital that businesses of all sizes are able to grasp the opportunities that it brings. One of the challenges is for small and medium sized enterprises to be able to access high speed broadband and I am delighted that through the NorthernNET project they will be able to do just that."

NorthernNet is live and happening now. Be part of it by following us on twitter twitter.com/northernnet

ENDS

Notes to editors:

NorthernNET has three main objectives:

• Connecting the North
  Transfer speeds of up to 1Gb now connects the North. Direct network access and PAYG access with kit, in convenient locations for freelancers and SMEs

• Connecting the Industry
  Connecting creative and digital businesses through relationship building and a calendar of forward thinking, skill building, visionary and industry responsive events.

• Connecting the Knowledge
  Showcase website for the North's creative and digital companies, supported by NorthernNet regional knowledge experts matching buyers with innovative SMEs

The 13 operational MAB's and 6 on the way in 2010:

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) works to deliver economic success in England's Northwest by building the competitiveness of its businesses, people and places. Utilising our technical expertise and strategic influence, we help the region's 250,000+ businesses to develop and grow, as well as supporting international trade and encouraging inward investment.

For further information please contact Neil Roscoe, Senior Press Officer on 01925 400232 or mobile 07980 713282 or neil.roscoe@nwda.co.uk

Fay Shannon, Marketing and Events Manager on 07702372531 email fays@visionandmedia.co.uk

For urgent out of hours press enquiries please call 01925 400259.

The Northern Way is a unique initiative, bringing together the cities and regions of the North of England to work together to improve the sustainable economic development of the North towards the level of more prosperous regions. The Northern Way is funded by the three Northern Regional Development Agencies.