Broadband Labs pushing innovation out in the field

A new initiative, Superfast Cornwall Labs, is aiming to push the boundaries of what’s possible using superfast fibre broadband.

Labs is backed by the University College Falmouth (UCF) and other higher education establishments, Cornwall Development Company, BT and Cornish businesses. The project will investigate the ways in which university skills and education can be extended to rural communities using fibre broadband.

Among the initiatives already under way is a ‘University of the Village’, a project between UCF, University of Glamorgan, BT and rural communities in Cornwall and Wales.

Another project is Vconect – an EU-funded initiative carrying out field trials which goes beyond the traditional business use of advanced video conferencing systems. Experts believe this could open the doors to exciting developments in telecare and online learning.

Superfast Cornwall is a pioneering partnership between the EU, BT and Cornwall Council, which has already made fibre broadband available to about 100,000 Cornish homes and businesses.