European Network of Excellence for Broadband Diffusion Experience Sharing

European Network of Excellence (NoE) for Broadband Diffusion 
Experience Sharing (NEBES)  - European Regions Workshop

Invitation:               To meet to form the Expression of Interest (EOI) for NEBES

Date:                     Friday, May 31st 2002 (1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.)

Venue:                    St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WS, England 

RSVP:                     by 24th May 2002 
On 20th March the European Commission published a Call for Expressions of Interest (EoI) concerning the Sixth Framework Programme.  Earlier on 7th March 2002, EICTA had organised a public event themed "BROADBAND EUROPE: CALL for ACTION".   This led to many delegates expressing a need for a European Network of Excellence with a virtual space for Exchange of Experience in Broad Band Diffusion. 



Such a virtual forum should help in evolving private and/or public partnership models for European regions to respond more effectively to the various challenges of BroadBand (BB) adoption e.g. situated economic models for both infrastructure and services development, demand aggregation and "last miles" solutions, etc.  It should help publicise lessons learnt from success stories, and, problems encountered to-date, by showcasing regional BB developments within a defined typology of BB-Diffusion contexts so that generic and specific socio-economic and technical barriers could be identified to help inform standards making and policy making and evolve best-fit regional implementations.   



The East of England Telematics Development Trust (EETDT, www.eastspace.net/eetdt), established since 1997, provides a vehicle for collaboration in innovation research and building up regional wideband ICT capability for competitive advantage.  EETDT's members comprise key players in the BroadBand industry including leading national and international telecom corporates, local, regional and central government, healthcare and educational sectors.   We share the widely held view that the BroadBand vision is a means to some of our most important European economic and political ends and that there is no vision of competitiveness in the knowledge economy without mass accessibility to BroadBand systems and services.



Together with our colleagues from some leading UK regions, we would like to welcome representatives of stakeholders from other European regions to join us in Cambridge on Friday 31st May to share ideas and to document collective thinking in readiness for its presentation to the European Commission as a proposal for a Network of Excellence for BroadBand Diffusion Experience Sharing (NEBES).  This workshop is free* and, judging by the high interest shown at the EICTA meeting we expect the list of delegates to fill up rapidly. If you are interested to attend please contact Richard.Jonesrdj@ntlworld.com  as soon as possible and no later than 24th May 2002. 



Yours sincerely,
                         Richard D Jones, 

 

Executive Secretary,
                                East of England Telematics Development Trust, www.eastspace.net/eetdt  

 

richard.jonesrdj@ntlworld.com 
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 40 42 04, Fax: +44 (0) 1234 40 58 20, Mobile +44 (0) 7939 11 42 11

 

*Although the workshop will be free, a donation of, say 30 Euro per delegate, towards our expenses,  would be most welcome

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How to get to St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS:

 

By plane/train:



London Stansted Airport is about 30 minutes by train from Cambridge Station, St John's Innovation Centre Cowley Road Cambridge is about 10 minutes by taxi from the station. 



By car:



Take the A14 towards Cambridge. Leave the A14 at junction signposted [A10 Ely, A1309 Cambridge] take the roundabout exit A1309 Cambridge (4th coming from West, 1st coming from East). Turn left (filter lane, signposted Park & Ride) at first set of traffic lights, then left again where Cowley Road bends right. 

 

St John's Innovation Centre is the second building on the left. There should be plenty of room for parking in the road.