23.04.04
actnow smashes through target a whole year early!

This week sees the two year anniversary of actnow, a project launched in April 2002 to accelerate the take up of broadband in Cornwall and which has emerged as the leading business support story for the Objective One Programme in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The success of the project has confounded the sceptics. In fact, this week sees the project hit its original target for the full span of the project – exactly a year earlier than originally planned!

The original target was 3300 businesses in Cornwall to sign up to broadband through actnow by April 2005. However, the project hit the target this week as Konfidence Ltd in Launceston became the 3300th business to sign up to the project.

"We moved the business to Cornwall from Surrey," says Konfidence Ltd Managing Director Andrew Regan. "We carry out business in China, France and Spain – and I can do this just as well from Cornwall as anywhere else. Broadband will help make the business still more successful." Konfidence designs and manufactures 'The Original Konfidence Jacket' which children can wear instead of arm bands for swimming as well as a number of other items such as UV protective swimwear and even life jackets for dogs! Their main UK customers are Mothercare, Early Learning Centre, Toys R Us and Marks and Spencer.

Andrew says: "Nearly all our communication is by email so the extra speed of broadband makes a huge difference to our business. Design work which often requires very large file transfers is now possible. In addition, broadband also makes it much easier to make changes to our website. We are looking forward to saving time and money as well as making our business more effective through the power of broadband."

Nigel Ashcroft, Project Director of actnow said: "We are delighted that Konfidence is our 3300th business – such an important milestone for us - because Konfidence in many ways symbolise the new wave of Cornwall based business we want to see develop. Konfidence are a micro business with only 5 employees. But although they are small, they have huge talent and ambition and are trading nationally and internationally. They have also recognised that with today's global communications, a world class business can be based in Cornwall as well as anywhere."

John Berry, Managing Director of Cornwall Enterprise, the lead partner in the actnow project, says: "Two years ago, the target of 3300 businesses seemed extremely challenging and there were many sceptics who said actnow would never make it . So we are thrilled that the target has been achieved ahead of our two year anniversary. We would like to say thank you to all the forward thinking businesses in the county which have seized the opportunity and helped bring us to the position where broadband in Cornwall is now growing at a faster rate than any other rural area of the UK – and thank you to the funding bodies which have helped us deliver this success."

Already the economic impact of the project is stunning. It is estimated that more than 1200 jobs have been created and that Cornwall's gross domestic product has benefited by more than £20 million.

actnow is currently planning its next and most ambitious departure yet. May 2004 will see the launch of a new project under its wing, designed to bring broadband to remote rural areas of Cornwall, where ADSL broadband technology cannot reach. "Our goal is no less than 100% coverage of Cornwall," says Nigel Ashcroft. "We will work with people in local villages and outlying areas to identify and implement broadband solutions, taking into account the specific needs of local communities."

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, says: "Less than three years ago, affordable broadband access for businesses in Cornwall seemed an impossibility for a rural economy in this decade. Today we celebrate the signing up of the 3300th business and the goal to deliver 100% coverage by 2008. Through ongoing structural fund support, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly now have the infrastructure to develop as a world class centre for innovation and beneficial rural economic development that will act as a beacon of success for the UK and Europe."

The actnow broadband partnership – which has comprised Cornwall Enterprise, BT, the South West of England Regional Development Agency, Cornwall County Council, Business Link Devon & Cornwall, Cornwall College and the Objective One Partnership Office - is on course to far exceed all its targets since being launched in April 2002. Now 35 Cornish communities have broadband access and as well as 3,300 Cornish businesses, 15000 households are using broadband.

The £12.5 million project has been widely recognised. It was awarded Regional Partnership Category Champion at the recent Broadband Britain Challenge and has been identified by Best eEurope Practices (BEEP), a multinational European project, as 'a good practice' case study of information and communications technology playing a key role in regional development.

Editor's notes:

The actnow programme is a demand-led initiative to encourage businesses in Cornwall to gain the support they need to move into the new broadband economy. Including about £5.25 million from Objective One, it is one of the largest private and public sector partnerships in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly since they were granted Objective One status by the European Union in 2000.

Broadband operates at much higher speeds than a standard internet connection with consumer products typically 10 times faster and business products up to 40 times faster. Products can be ordered from a range of service providers.

For more information contact Emma Lydon of actnow on 01209 722850.

Sue Wolstenholme
Objective One Communications
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mob: 07973 813647
Tel: 01579 370991

lmroberts@cornwall.gov.uk

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