The city council is pressing ahead with plans to develop Winchester’s economy, and is calling on residents and businesses to share their experiences to help shape the future.
We are inviting residents to complete a survey (https://winchester.citizenspace.com/economy-and-arts/digital-winchester) to help us explore your experience of current broadband and mobile services as well as what it needs to be in the future. Feedback will be used to inform council policies and work with partners.
COVID19 has been a catalyst for change and our home and work lives have relied more heavily on better digital connectivity so we can stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues. Excellent infrastructure is essential and the council wants to understand the needs of everyone who uses digital services in any way.
How to get involved:
- Completing the online survey into broadband and mobile services (https://winchester.citizenspace.com/economy-and-arts/digital-winchester)
- Sharing relevant article, documents, papers and information with the council (https://winchester.citizenspace.com/economy-and-arts/digital-winchester-gathering-evidence)
- Attending the virtual panel debate to discuss the districts future challenges with a range of experts and senior council figures in spring 2021
Cllr Anne Weir, Chair of the Digital Winchester Task and Finish Group at Winchester City Council commented:
“Access to high quality digital services has been playing a rapidly growing and critical role in the economic health and the resilience of the district for many years. With this in mind, Winchester City Council is keen to understand the changing digital needs of residents, employers, innovators and investors. We’re encouraging everyone to share their thoughts to get a broad range of perspective and opinions on the future of the digital economy.”
Cllr Paula Ferguson, Council’s Cabinet Member for the Local Economy, added:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that the ability to access and embrace digital technology has become even more vital. With many more people working from home, good digital connectivity has become key to continued productivity. It also has an important role to play in carbon neutrality, and I hope that people and businesses from across the district will complete this survey and help us to shape our digital future.”
The council is already committed to improving connectivity across the district. Last year we launch launched a city-wide Wi-Fi service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, helping to support the city’s reopened businesses. Information about that launch can be found here.
