Cyber aim for region

EMDA wants more people online

A campaign to increase internet usage has been launched in the East Midlands.

"Free the EMidlands" will run for 14 months and cover six counties - Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Rutland and Cambridgeshire.

The East Midlands Development Agency (Emda) says it will spend £800,000 on the campaign, which aims to create the UK's "first true e-region".

Robin Haynes, Emda's broadband business growth manager, said the campaign had three purposes:

• To accelerate broadband use by helping people understand its benefits

• Speeding up demand for broadband in areas that do not currently benefit from access with the aim of encouraging investment by service providers

• Stimulating demand for broadband amongst small to medium sized companies

The campaign aims to get 20,000 more households and 2,000 more companies in the targeted areas using broadband technology by 2005.

Research among small and medium sized businesses in the region shows 72% use external e-mail and 50% have a website.

In addition, half of all East Midlands households are not hooked up to the internet, let alone broadband.