In the Budget, the Chancellor George Osborne announced the new fund, which will help create around 10 super-connected cities with 80-100Mbps broadband access. This is the second round of funding for ultrafast broadband, with 10 of the UK’s largest cities already working on detailed plans to upgrade their networks.

“These ultrafast speeds will allow more cities in the UK to compete with the fastest in the world, bringing new opportunities for growth, the development of high tech industries and the transformation of public services,” said Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Read more: DCMS

Read more: BBC

As with previous maps, this one is published with the same caveats… (i.e. please take it as is. It represents just the postcode data, so the plots may not be exact. There may also be inconsistencies in how Google plots the postcodes, so do take it as indicative.) Below the main map is a heat map that shows where most activity is happening.

Although we’ve taken a freeze of the data, the demand registration remains open, and it is still a useful exercise to register your details; over 275 have done since 10th April.

• Date: 25th April (09.00 – 15.30)
• Venue: Dillington House, Ilminster
• Cost: Free (light lunch included)
• Value: Priceless!
• Number of delegates: up to 100 (limited places)
• Follow via Twitter on #mc4b

[final details revised 20/04/12]

Based on feedback from the successful event at Dillington House last September – which gave an overview of ICT developments such as superfast broadband, collaborative innovation and e-business – Somerset County Council is running a Master Class event for businesses interested in developing some practical tools to make better use of social media and SEO techniques within their own organisation. This is open to businesses or individuals across Devon and Somerset.

As the ‘Master Class’ title suggests, the event is particularly appropriate for businesses and individuals who already have reasonable knowledge/experience in using social media and SEO.

If you want some inspiration and practical tools to move up a gear and find out the latest on Social media and Superfast Broadband then this event is for you.

You will have the chance to listen to Dr Peter Cochrane. Peter is a futurist, entrepreneur, business and engineering advisor to international industries and governments who will give some fascinating insights into what the world might look like in the (not too distant) future and how we can act NOW to attract the customers of the future.

You will also have the chance to attend four workshops, each focussing upon a different aspect of Social Media and SEO. These workshops are to be led by experts in their respective fields, most of who live and work in Somerset and Devon. Details of each workshop are still being confirmed, but the line-up includes:

Workshop 1 – Does Social Media Activity Affect Search Engine Rankings?

David Hurst of Morphsites

Here’s an interesting question, and one that has probably popped into the mind of most website owners recently. The answer is surprisingly simple: yes! The next question is “How?”, and that may take a little longer to answer. This short workshop will attempt to answer that question as it journeys briefly through the following topics:

A brief history of search: an understanding of how we got to where we are is essential, since search engines and the Web in general have evolved dramatically in the past few years, and a knowledge of where we have come from will help us to better predict where things are heading in the future.

• The complexity of Google: woe betide any website optimiser who fails to appreciate the sophistication and sheer mind-blowing complexity of Google’s many algorithms.
• Debunking a few SEO myths: a whistle stop overview of the top 3 SEO myths that are sadly still being propagated.
• Principle search signals: once we know what doesn’t work, we’ll take a quick look at the things that do work.
• Social signals that impact search rankings: here we get to the core of the topic and look at how Google perceives our activity in social media, and how it uses that information to adjust rankings.
• Practical tips & advice for better search engine rankings: throughout the presentation of material, practical tips and advice will be given that will help focus your SEO and Social Media activities for better results.

Workshop 2 – Social Media Strategy

Gary Ennis of NSDesign

Having the Facebook and Twitter account for your business is just the start. Knowing what you want to do with them, and how to do it, will form part of your overall social media strategy – an important part of ensuring that your business benefits from embracing social media. Surprising then that so few organisations actually have one!

In his workshop, Gary will introduce the basic concepts of a social media strategy, focusing on achieving business objectives, to make your efforts deliver a positive ROI. The session will include some hands-on and some group interaction

Workshop 3 – Social Data

Simon Gough of Redfront Media

There is more business information available than ever before, and the challenge now is to focus on what really matters and what is just noise. The Social Data workshop will help businesses understand what they need to know as they try to gather, interpret and employ social data. We’ll be exploring the wealth of new intelligence available and look at where some of the future trends in data might take us.

Workshop 4 – Solving Rural Marketing Problems with Social Media

Jim Hardcastle of Viper Marketing & Communications

Marketing for businesses and destinations in rural areas presents some unique challenges. This workshop will explore these issues and present solutions using the latest social media platforms. Digitally social business models will be revealed that increase innovation, empower users and mean less reliance on techies. We’ll also look at how to overcome the problem of content generation and how to balance selling with being social.

Delegates will be able to attend each of these workshops and will therefore not need to choose between them.

To register your interest in this event please fill in your details online here.

Event Agenda

09.00 Registration / Coffee

09.30 Introduction to the day &

09.40 Update on the Connecting Devon and Somerset broadband project

09.45 Dr Peter Cochrane

10.45 Gary Ennis (Social Media overview / future of Social Media)

11.30 Introduction to workshops

11.50 Coffee + workshop x 4

12.30 Workshops x 4

13.15 Lunch / networking

14.00 Workshops x 4

14.45 Workshops x 4

15.30 Q&A panel

16.00 Networking / Tea & Coffee

Workshop Speaker Profiles:

David Hurst of Morphsites

David, Managing Director of Morph Sites, has been developing and promoting websites commercially for almost 15 years, in which time he has worked for a wide variety of clients ranging from single owner businesses through to government and global brands. With expertise in PHP/MySQL development, Linux server administration and search engine optimisation, David is intimately acquainted with every step of website development, deployment and marketing. In an industry where experience is everything, David has earned a reputation for his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things web.

Gary Ennis of NSDesign

Gary established NSDesign in 1999 at the peak of the “internet boom”, and today the company continues to provide digital services to around 10,000 businesses worldwide. Their acclaimed “Embrace the Space” Social Media for Business programme has been delivered in various guises to over 3,000 businesses over the past 3 years, and has helped secure a number of varied high profile social media clients including Sporting Organisations, City Councils, Global Law firms, Business Support Enterprises, Marketing Agencies, Housing Associations, Blue-Chip Corporations and an Airport!

With the title of Managing Director (as well as Social Media Strategist), Gary’s other interests include magic and juggling, which he often uses to entertain the masses – from local playgroups to conference delegates! Three times short-listed for “Creative Entrepreneur of the Year”, a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for the University of the West of Scotland, business mentor for the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, and last year named by Insider Magazine as one of Scotland’s “Rising Stars”, Gary’s main ambition is to prove to the sceptics that “Geeks” can be cool too!

Simon Gough of Redfront

Simon Gough is a service designer and marketer. He’s a Director of Redfront and Redfront Marketing, and regularly speaks about Social, Digital and Service Design. His work revolves around the core values of service design (user-experience, co-creation and collaboration) and he is currently developing new methods for companies to create value in partnership with their customers.

Jim Hardcastle of Viper Marketing & Communications

Jim is a Communication Consultant with a background in the countryside and marketing sectors. Using the latest social media techniques coupled with the principles of communication and marketing Jim now helps rural businesses promote themselves effectively. His training and consultancy portfolio spans rural SMEs to protected landscape teams and national conservation bodies. Jim’s in-depth experience of running countryside projects means his courses are always grounded in reality. His training and facilitation days are enjoyable and energetic where people can learn and smile at the same time.

This event is supported by Plymouth University and the Open Innovation Project, part-funded through the Interreg IVB Programme:

Work is underway to secure our private sector partner to install superfast broadband across the Connecting Devon and Somerset area.

We recognise that for such a large infrastructure project there are many local supply chain opportunities and we would like to ensure that local businesses have the opportunity to become part of this supply chain.

The web registration page on this website gives you the opportunity, as a local business, to register your interest in becoming a direct or indirect supplier* to our main contractor.

It doesn’t matter how small or big your business is we would like to hear from you.

Once registered, your details will be made available to the potential main Broadband Suppliers so that they are aware of your business and interest in any potential supply contracts.

To register go to the Local Supplier page.

* Direct supplier: Suppliers such as contractors who can contribute to the actual roll out of the infrastructure, such as engineering and construction companies, telelcommunications/broadband specialists, civil works contractors.

* Indirect supplier: Suppliers who can provide support services such as accommodation providers, taxi firms, local retailers, catering services for the main Suppliers’ staff or sub-contractors.

State aid is a European Commission term which refers to forms of assistance from a public body or publicly-funded body, given to undertakings engaged in economic commercial activity on a selective basis, with the potential to distort competition and affect trade between member states of the European Union.

Connecting Devon and Somerset must have a state aid notification approved by the European Commission before public monies can be spent on superfast broadband.

This consultation, launched 3rd March 2012, sets out where it is currently known that superfast broadband will be provided over the next 3 years and where under state aid rules, the Connecting Devon and Somerset Programme can intervene to increase superfast coverage.

It provides an opportunity for residents and businesses to comment on the plans as well as formal notification from broadband operators of any planned similar investment.

The document, and the responses to it, will be used to validate the proposed extent of the target areas and inform the Programme’s state aid notification and ongoing tender process.

It is therefore imperative that any operator already delivering or planning to deliver services that exceed what has been detailed in the consultation document make their plans known to the Programme. Comments from business and residents are equally welcomed.

Full details are available here: Consultation