How Wray Village worked with the University of Lancaster to get broadband access

Outcomes

The introduction of broadband connectivity to Wray has brought many social and economic benefits. The process of getting broadband to the community increased cohesion, as people in the community were talking to each other and organising around the issue. During the implementation phase, the project created inter-generational links with young members of the community teaching older residents about how to use this technology. The project has also allowed people to stay in the village during the week and at the week-end, rather than travelling 25 miles to the library in town. In addition, it has attracted business from people in surrounding areas, who come to use the centre, with its online library-type facilities. This has also reduced travel and carbon emissions.

A high speed broadband connection allows local farmers to remain competitive as a farming community, e.g. they can register new born livestock online, saving paperwork and time. The impact that the broadband connection has on the competitiveness and lifestyles of the farming community can be seen here:

Other village businesses (numbering nearly a hundred, ranging from a nuclear energy consultant to an occupational health company, an interior designer, a writer for a New York magazine, and several artists) have also benefitted considerably, extending their reach from the local to the international level through being able to run e-commerce web sites and send designs much quicker than via the post.  A local geologist in the oil extraction business can hold desktop conferences; the village postmistress is able to take Sundays off by ordering online and no longer having to go to the cash-and-carry; and university students are able to remain in the village during vacations, rather than staying at university because they could not study online in the village.
Douglas Chalmers, Director of the Country Land and Business Association North, summed up the success of the efforts of the community in bringing broadband to the community:

“I think that this is a tremendous initiative. While others were talking and waiting for broadband, the villagers of Wray simply rolled up their sleeves and just did it.  Local businesses can now compete on equal terms with their urban competitors.”

Watch this video to see an illustration of the economic and social impacts the network has had for members of the community:

Futhermore the impact of the Broadband for the Rural North work undertaken by villages such as Wray was applauded by Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission – see this video:

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