news story

18th December 2008

MP Sets Up January Meeting to Help Local Businesses

As the economic situation gets more difficult, Northavon MP Steve Webb has set up a meeting in January to support local businesses who rely heavily on effective telecommunications for their business. The meeting is being jointly hosted by BT and will take place at the Thornbury telephone exchange. Invitations are being co-ordinated by the South Gloucestershire Forum of Small Businesses.

The meeting will focus on the issue of 'superfast' broadband services which are currently under development. In the past, new technologies of this sort have tended to start in big urban areas and only later to reach areas such as South Gloucestershire with a mixture of market towns and villages. Local MP Steve Webb is pressing for our area to be included in the early stages of the rollout of these new services and is seeking to ensure that local businesses are aware of what services may be on offer.

Steve Webb said:

"In hard economic times I am keen that our local businesses are well placed to compete. One important tool for business is good telecommunications, and the new 'superfast' broadband services will be a major boost for small businesses in particular. I am determined to ensure that our area is not passed over when these services start to become more widely available. I hope that this meeting will give local businesses chance to find out more about this new technology and will also show BT the strength of local interest and demand".

Although in parts of South Gloucestershire homes and businesses can access the cable network and can therefore already get very high speed broadband services, those who are not served by cable are currently missing out.