Broadband
Increasing broadband connectivity will reduce the costs and barriers to new markets for SMEs and act as a market facilitator through the access to, and distribution of, new digital media regionally, nationally and globally. This improved broadband network infrastructure will be driven by our partner British Telecom, who provide network management and connectivity expertise from being one of Europe's leading providers of telecommunications services.

BT are involved with a number of partners in identifying communities of interest such as Advanced Manufacturing and Digital Media where the availability of Broadband will significantly enhance the development of these industries. BT are also working to enhance the availability of Broadband in less favorable areas where programmes will be run to address social exclusion and the "digital divide".

In the field of education and learning, BT are involved in many initiatives to both develop content and extend the ability of people in the community to access opportunities for self improvement. They have just completed a successful Broadband awareness programme with the Birmingham Post and are working with Chambers of Commerce and E-business clubs in explaining the benefits of Broadband to SMEs.

'Broadband' is the common term for a high bandwidth Internet connection. A Broadband service can be capable of transmitting data at up to 40 times the speed of a standard modem. Equally importantly, it is always 'on' - you don't need to dial up every time you want to 'log on'. Just sit down at your computer and the Internet is there - like electricity or tap water!

If you use a standard modem you may find yourself waiting several minutes for emails with large file attachments, while web pages with lots of pictures, complex graphics or animations appear very slowly. You may also find it difficult to view video on the web, or listen to music or sound.

If you want to receive these files quickly you will need a higher bandwidth connection. This is especially important for viewing web-casts or listening to internet radio, where it is vital to receive the information in a continuous stream.

Subscribe to a Broadband service and you will start to use the Internet in an entirely new way. You'll find you can move swiftly from website to website and page to page, all in a fraction of the time of a traditional dial-up connection.

In the home a Broadband connection can open up a wealth of entertainment and information resources, including video and music on demand, online game playing and the fast exchange of files with friends and family. At work it can vastly improve marketing and internal processes by allowing real-time interaction with customers and colleagues, permanent connection to online services and continuous access to your email account.

Why register? Find out about the benefits of registering on The Media Vault Website. Questions? Contact us to find out more.

THIS PROJECT IS BEING PART-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY European Regional Development Fund