The original Manchester & Salford digital city plan aimed to provide whole city fiber coverage through infilling white areas, final business connections, fiber to multi-occupancy buildings, ducting, high-speed wireless, and business support. However, lack of State aid approval meant the plan had to be rescoped to focus on voucher-based connections, potentially expanding fiber to multi-occupancy buildings and ducting, and increasing wireless and promotion to drive voucher uptake, but still unable to fund revenue activities.

1. Manchester & Salford
Digital City
Dr Alexander Roy
New Economy

5. Original Manchester & Salford SCCPs
Whole city coverage with:
–‘White’ area infill
–Final connections for SMEs
– Vouchers for Ethernet/FTTP connection charges
–Fibre to multi-occupancy buildings (business & residential)
–Ducting for Enterprise Zone
– Multi-utility ducting exempt from State aid
–High-speed wireless
– Originally using UBF for ubiquitous coverage but pushed
towards concession model for State aid reasons
–Information, demand stimulation & business support
– A requirement of but not funded through UBF

6. Rescoped Manchester & Salford SCCPs
Lack of State aid approval for urban means:
–‘White’ area infill – not possible to build infrastructure even
though large areas underserved
–Final connections for SMEs – focus on vouchers as demand-led
alternative, but niche market segment
–Fibre to multi-occupancy buildings (business & residential) –
potential to expand this – using vouchers?
–Ducting – potential for other development sites
–High-speed wireless – potential to fund expansion though State
aid concerns remain
–Information, demand stimulation & business support – becomes
critical for take-up of vouchers but still unable to fund revenue

7. Rescoped Manchester & Salford SCCPs
Lack of State aid approval for urban means:
–‘White’ area infill – not possible to build infrastructure even
though large areas underserved
–Final connections for SMEs – focus on vouchers as demand-led
alternative, but niche market segment
–Fibre to multi-occupancy buildings (business & residential) –
potential to expand this – using vouchers?
–Ducting – potential for other development sites
–High-speed wireless – potential to fund expansion though State
aid concerns remain
–Information, demand stimulation & business support – becomes
critical for take-up of vouchers but still unable to fund revenue