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Cambridge Wireless to investigate new business model in Rural Broadband provision.

7th March 2011

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Cambridge Wireless has started a detailed evaluation of a demonstrator for rural broadband provision, using initial funding from EEDA. This is part of a project which aims to demonstrate the city and the East of England region as a technology hotspot for demonstrating innovative business models for broadband coverage. Paul May, Executive Director of Innovation for EEDA comments, “We are incredibly excited to be helping Cambridge Wireless to start this project and hope it will be benefit the Cambridge Wireless Community and the wireless ecosystem in the region”.

The evaluation is the first phase of a project which aims to build a radio based network to provide broadband coverage by wireless in a target location in the eastern region. Selection of a target region is part of the initial evaluation. A key part of the project is to look at the economic aspects and to determine if it possible to achieve coverage at reasonable costs in blackspot areas where there is currently no or limited broadband availability and where there are no plans for broadband availability in the foreseeable future from current providers.

Cambridge Wireless is working with multinational suppliers of telecommunications equipment and services in order to establish the feasibility of the trial.

“We are delighted to be working with EEDA on this important initiative” says Stirling Essex of Cambridge Wireless. “Supporting trials of new technologies and business models, and harnessing the capabilities of both the partners in the trial and our local companies will continue to demonstrate that Cambridge is the place where emerging innovative business models are conceived, investigated and tested”.