Midland campaigner encourages take-up of high-speed broadband

A campaigner in the Midlands has called on local businesses to pursue high-speed broadband connections and is helping promote the various benefits.

Glyn Pitchford, elected West Midlands Business Council business representative on the City Region board, said he is keen to build on the momentum generated by BT's announcement of high-speed trials that could positively affect 110,000 web users in the area, reports the Birmingham Post.

Nearly 40 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises are yet to even invest in a computer, but Mr Pitchford said having fast internet access is as important as having a fully qualified workforce.

Mr Pitchford told the paper: "If we can educate business about the applications available - how best they can utilise the extra speed - then I believe they will be keen to grab the benefits."

Embracing next-generation technology can help make VoIP solutions more efficient, while also allowing businesses to compete with each other more effectively.

BT faces stiff competition from companies like Virgin Media, which has already launched a 50 megabits-per-second broadband service.