The project is funded by a partnership between the NWDA, Yorkshire Forward and One North East, supported by Northern Way. NorthernNet is coordinated from its base at Vision+Media in MediaCityUK, working alongside delivery partners in the other Northern regions; Codeworks and Screen Yorkshire.
The project includes a secure, high-speed digital network connecting the North West, Yorkshire and North East digital and creative companies, transferring 1GB of data 90 seconds across its secure next generation fibre optic cables. SMEs and freelancers will particularly realise the benefits of the project, with a number of Media Access Bureaux (MAB) providing companies with flexible, Pay As You Go (PAYG) access to industry standard technology and the superfast digital network.
In addition to the infrastructure, an innovation and collaboration programme will be implemented to encourage the North’s creative and digital industries to collaborate and share best practice.
The aims of the NorthernNet project are to:
- Encourage digital and creative industry specialists to innovate and collaborate and help develop and support a robust, competitive supply chain.
- Provide digital and creative companies, large and small, with a secure, high speed (1 GB) network enabling the fast transfer of any type of media. The network can already deliver 1GB files 20 times faster than the average FTP connection speed to anywhere in the world.
- Provides access to NorthernNet via MAB as well as direct connection.
- Create a way for the North’s creative and digital industries to share knowledge, collaborate and showcase themselves.
The NorthernNet project has three elements:
Connecting the North
NorthernNet sets a precedent. The speed and capacity for data storage and transmission has never before been available to Northern businesses. For the first time the Northwest, Yorkshire and the North East will have flexible access to a single, high speed, secure digital network that connects the region’s creative and digital industry sectors and customers. Central to NorthernNet is the network of 17 MAB located within business, cultural and educational sites across the North providing companies with flexible, PAYG access to industry standard technology and the superfast digital network.
Within the MAB there is also high internet browsing connection connecting the NorthernNet infrastructure directly to the Internet backbone via another secure firewall. So you can send from Manchester to LA 20 times faster than an average FTP connection.
The network of 17 MAB are located across the Northwest, Yorkshire and North East, from Scarborough to Lancaster. Packed with industry standard kit, users can access a secure, high performance, high speed network to transfer data and media files. Accessible on a PAYG basis, the MAB give freelancers and SMEs across the North local access to high speed connectivity and the technology and resources to open new markets and expand their offers to clients.
Connecting the Industry
Through our partners and resources, NorthernNet will connect and support the creative and digital businesses through a calendar of forward thinking, skill building, visionary and industry responsive events. As part of its commitment to collaboration, NorthernNet has partnered on a series of events spanning the North, to generate cross-regional and cross-sector communication within the creative and digital industries.
These events will provide a space for the creative and digital sectors to work together. The events will help businesses access research, develop new skills and expand their ideas and products to survive and thrive in a multi-platform world. In addition, as the events connect the regions, they will provide a detailed picture of who is doing what, where and how, opening the opportunity for collaborative working.
Connecting the Knowledge
NorthernNet will create a showcase website for the region’s creative and digital companies to encourage collaboration and share knowledge. This website, called Northern Knowledge, will be supported by NorthernNet regional knowledge managers who will match buyers with innovative SMEs. The Northern Knowledge website will allow companies to showcase themselves and will serve as a matchmaking resource for buyers who will be able to search via specialism.