The European Broadband Portal www.broadband-europe.eu Gareth Hughes CEO, eris@ Brussels, 9 October 2008

The European Broadband Portal www.broadband-europe.eu Spreading the social and economic benefits of broadband (THEME: Cooperation and Networking) Gareth Hughes CEO, eris@ Brussels, 9 October 2008

Rationale An initiative financed by the European Commission (DG INFSO) – commenced Jan 2008 for 32 months which is a …… Result of the conclusion of the 2007 Conference “Bridging the Broadband Gap” which concluded that “the exchange of best practice in the broadband area has proved useful and shall be continued through a purpose-built website”. This, in turn was a response to the fact that …… “At least 4.7 million would-be broadband users will be excluded by commercial rollout in 2013 in the EU25” (The Digital Divide Forum Report, July 2005) and supports ….. The Commission’s policies on eInclusion and information society (i2010) to create “An Information Society that is inclusive, provides high quality public services and promotes quality of life” (Objective 3) and specifically to ….. “…give guidance to extend the geographical coverage of broadband in under-served areas …”

Aims The European Broadband Portal aims to facilitate the dialogue between regional and local actors and the ICT industry in overcoming the digital divide between urban and rural areas and bring high-speed internet access to all Europeans, in particular to the less developed regions of the European Union. Thus, the project seeks to create a coherent on-line community of relevant stakeholders, providing them with the tools for effective sharing of experiences and good practices and a participatory environment for seeking common and shared solutions. Main Objectives Operate as a one-stop shop repository of information and web-based information platform, aimed at facilitating the exchange of ideas, experiences and good practices on broadband among relevant public and private actors. Contribute to the opening and the transparency of the broadband market by acting as a virtual meeting point between ICT suppliers and public authorities.

5 Databases

User participation in portal design, development and maintenance, through the following groups: Editorial Board Expert Advisory Group Industry Liaison Committee National Contact Points

User participation in portal design, development and maintenance, through the following groups: Editorial Board Expert Advisory Group Industry Liaison Committee National Contact Points

The To-Do Check-List (Guide to Good Practice) First Steps Develop the Business Case Funding The Business Model Technology Choices Implementation

Upload your projects, BB plans, calls, etc at www.broadband-europe.eu

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