The event will see the publication of a paper urging Government to ‘reassert its authority over UK broadband policy.’

Business people have voiced their concerns that Britain is too fragmented and moving too slowly when it comes to creating a national high speed broadband architecture that can fuel economic growth. The launch event, which is being held on September 6 at Unipart House in Oxford beginning at 18:30, is being sponsored by Buckinghamshire Business First and Oxfordshire Business First. The two organisations have been working together on campaigning for a coherent digital policy, since the first ‘Digital Summit’ was held at Culham Science Centre nearly two years ago.

Alex Pratt, Chairman of Buckinghamshire Business First, said that Government needs to take urgent action to enable Britain’s high tech companies to help to fuel economic growth.

“Government’s job is to create the policy and set the agenda and ambition for a world class 21^st century digital infrastructure. They then need to get the majority of providers around a table to work out the best method and regulatory structure for delivering that vision.              

“Only Government can facilitate a process that will change the pace at which UK business can help the country to trade our way out of austerity and lead the world with the sort of flair, innovation and imagination that are hallmarks of British industry.

“The way in which national economic development projects HS2 are funded seems to have fundamental flaws. Just compare broadband with HS2. The key thing we are interested in is being seen as the voice of entrepreneurial wealth generating common sense in these matters and to build a coalition for better strategic economic infrastructure decisions.”

For more information and to register for the Digital Summit visit http://www.obfirst.org.uk/events/digital-summit/

To sign up to the superfast broadband cause, visit Connected Counties.