The Super-Connected Newport project, part of the Super-Connected Cities programme developed by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, launches officially this week.

Newport’s small businesses can now register online and start to progress their applications for the £3,000 funding on offer for superfast and ultrafast broadband connections.

All applications registered this week will be processed in the first phase of funding awards. Business should register on www.newport.gov.uk/superfast.

Superfast and ultrafast broadband are already vital to the success of many small businesses, and this is going to get stronger all the time. Stuart Ball from Microsoft explained recently “as schools in Wales get superfast broadband, pupils are being brought up using the advanced applications that it can enable. They will soon be employees and competitors to the current small businesses in the economy. Businesses need to be using the same technology, or they will very soon lose out to the competitors who do make the transition.”

Newport’s businesses are already starting to show these transitions across a huge range of business types – using superfast broadband to transform existing businesses, or create new businesses that simply wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

New business opportunities

Newport City Council leader Councillor Bob Bright, talking about the launch of the project explained the importance of the innovation in Newport, said: “All businesses can benefit from superfast and ultrafast broadband, and that is really important for their long term survival. But some businesses really depend on the new technology, so the Super-Connected Newport means we can create whole new business sectors here that can be the new leaders of our economic strength.”

“New businesses like Daniel Rumsey’s NSP Gaming are using superfast broadband to turn online games into a new business opportunity by building a real-life community around technology. Existing businesses like Ashton Park Care Home are using key technology capabilities to enable completely new styles of service that would not be possible otherwise. These are important new innovations that can help build our economy for decades.”

Innovation in infrastructure delivery

As well as supporting businesses in affording superfast broadband services that are already available, a vital aspect of the project is in encouraging innovative technology delivery approaches that bring superfast and ultrafast broadband to parts of the city that currently have no adequate broadband. Where these are individual businesses, getting high speed broadband services can be prohibitively expensive. But by grouping together, innovative technical and commercial solutions can be made possible.

Cllr Bob Bright said: “Companies like PHP Genie are vital to our economic success – world technology businesses based here in Newport. At the moment they have to use expensive private circuits to get the kind of connectivity they need. But there are several businesses in the same position in the same part of the city. By helping them to join together in the Super-Connected Newport project, we hope to be able to solve the internet access problems for large parts of the city.”

Business Funding

Newport businesses can benefit directly – with up to £3,000 available through a voucher scheme to connect to superfast or ultrafast broadband. There is £4m of funding available for Newport based small businesses to claim to join the Super-Connected Newport. For more information, follow on Twitter @ConnectNewport and on the website www.newport.gov.uk/superfast.