NextGen 09 Conference, welcome & opening speech by Sir Richard Leese [Leader, Manchester City Council]

Manchester City Council is delighted to be hosting the last in this series of events on the theme of next generation broadband connectivity organised by the Community Broadband Network.

The theme of the series is “can we do it - yes we can” and here in Manchester we are taking the first steps to making that a reality with the imminent construction of a pilot “fibre to the premises” project in The Corridor in South Manchester - an area of critical importance for the knowledge economy in the Manchester conurbation.

We believe strongly that we in the UK have a great deal to learn from our colleagues in the rest of Europe on this issue, and I am delighted that representatives from Amsterdam CityNet - a pioneering project in this field - along with other practitioners will be here to help us develop plans and projects.

And of course the recent publication of the Digital Britain report has given us plenty to be thinking about, so I welcome the chance to start debating the issues here in Manchester with a video address to this conference from Lord Carter himself. I am delighted that you are here in Manchester and that you will find these two days’ discussions enjoyable and productive.

Sir Richard Leese
Leader of Manchester City Council