New roadshows to push transformation of UK's digital access networks

NextGen Events has today announced Edinburgh’s selection as the launch-pad for a series of roadshows set to help drive the transformation of digital access networks across the UK.

The event on 12 May, supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) and ICT industry trade body ScotlandIS, will focus on the digital access network strategy plans for Scotland, a host of local community initiatives and reports from other European projects. It is expected to attract enterprise leaders, local planners, community project managers and a wide range of suppliers and specialists in the new market for essential infrastructure investment.

NextGen Events Programme Director Marit Hendriks said: “Evidence of increased momentum in this market comes from the many exhibitors and the city and regions that have competed to host these events. The long-delayed and now urgent UK-wide transformation of local digital access networks adds up to the biggest business-enabling infrastructure project since the switchover from DC to AC electricity.

“The RSE has been instrumental to the development of the Digital Scotland report and we are delighted to be holding our first roadshow of 2011 in Edinburgh.”

NextGen is the UK’s premier platform for knowledge transfer about digital access network investment and management and has scheduled further roadshows in Kent and Nottingham. The NextGen 11 Conference, now in its fourth year, will also take place in November and is the UK’s showcase for next generation broadband activity.

Fujitsu - alongside DRAKA - have taken on Platinum sponsorship of the entire NextGen events programme this year. Fujitsu yesterday announced a consortium of industry players to bring up to 1Gb/s symmetrical services to five million UK businesses and households, primarily in rural areas. DRAKA - headquartered in Amsterdam - has vast experience of fibre deployments.

Speakers from overseas for the Edinburgh event, being held at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, will include Christer Mattsson from leading Swedish research organization ACREO, Henrik Halvorsen from NetAdmin and Iain Perry - a Glaswegian employee of a local network operator in Sweden.

Welcoming the choice of Edinburgh for the start of the 2011 programme, ScotlandIS Director Polly Purvis said: “We are determined that Scotland will lead the way in making sure that we have the best possible infrastructure for innovation and enterprise, for economic growth and for community development.”

For further information about the NextGen events or to register to attend please visit www.nextgenevents.co.uk.