Kent Connects wins at the e-Government National Awards 2009

 The award celebrates the success of the Kent Public Service Network (KPSN), launched last year to provide high speed broadband connection to 16 Kent and Medway authorities, 1,100 sites and 250,000 users.  The network has enabled public sector organisations to reduce the cost of public sector IT and associated staffing.  KPSN is now working with the Cabinet Office’s to incorporate KPSN concepts into the national PSN model.

 Schools, libraries and social services are just some of the services benefitting from KPSN which enables staff and residents to access a wider range of information and services on-line, and to do so more quickly, securely and easily than before.   The network has been built for the long-term, with the headroom to keep pace with emerging technologies. It also has potential to serve authorities outside Kent, helping them to make improvements and efficiencies.

 As well as serving the public sector KPSN is tackling Kent’s ‘digital divide’, making high speed broadband available to businesses and communities in more remote areas.  Thirty percent of Kent’s broadband ‘not-spots’ have already been tackled and availability of business broadband is up 55%.  More broadband ‘not-spots’ and ‘slow-spots’ will be addressed in time.

 Prime Minister Gordon Brown addressed the national award ceremony by video-link and praised the winners for their innovation.  Cabinet Office Minister Angela Smith said: “Technology is transforming almost every part of people’s lives… the opportunities presented by the internet and other communication and information technology are limitless and people rightly expect their public services to keep pace.”

 Jeff Wallbank, Interim Strategic Director of Kent Connects, explains: “In a great example of partnership Kent authorities joined forces to invest in a state-of-the art broadband network.  Working together gave us tremendous buying power.  Not only is the standard of KPSN very high, our costs are nearly a third lower than the rest of the sector.”

 Robin Daly, responsible for IT investment at Gravesham Borough Council and Chair of Kent Connects was delighted the partnership received the award.  “KPSN is making a significant contribution to help Councils reduce costs at the same time as making the internet and local services more accessible to residents.  We are proud to have developed a model that other authorities can benefit from.”

 ENDS