ITS Technology Group & First Ark Group

Wireless Broadband

Rollout in Social Housing

First Ark GroupA Business with a Social Purpose

• Our aim is to make a positive difference to local businesses, to our communities and to people’s lives through a range of commercial and social activities

• One part of that approach is in First Ark lead acting as the lead organisation on implementing a Digital Inclusion Strategy for Knowsley working with other partners, underpinned by support from the local authority

The Challenge – Digital Inclusion

• Knowsley is in the top 5 most deprived areas of the country

• 80% of social tenants in Knowsley are claiming some form of benefit

• 20% of residents have never used the internet

• 58% of benefit dependant and vulnerable tenants don’t have access to the internet*

• Access to the internet can bring the most disadvantaged in society:

• Access to lower costs services, products and information• Employment opportunities – our research showed 46% of local jobs were

exclusively available online• Health advice, guidance – reducing reliance on GP’s

* Excludes mobile phones

The Challenge – Digital Inclusion

• Government drive to be digital by default• Requires those needing support to have access

• Business benefits - only 32% of our tenants choose to interact with us digitally:

• Face to face contact costs - £8.70• Phone contact costs - £1.65• Internet based contact costs £0.05

Digital by default” – “Digital by design” .

“We estimate that moving services from offline to digital channels will save

between £1.7 and £1.8 billion a year.”

The Challenge – Wireless Internet for Business

• Superfast Britain rollout is being undertaken across Merseyside

• Areas of exclusion – • include areas of Knowsley with high density of SME Businesses • areas currently served by low speed and unreliable broadband access

No fibre deployment planned

A Pilot project providing access to our housing customers local to the solution:

• Free internet access • Extended access on a PAYG basis• Free tablet computers• Free onsite training and user support

High Speed reliable wireless broadband access to local business

• Meeting the needs of SME’s excluded from superfast rollout

• Ensuring local business support for growth

The Proposal

The Solution – Pilot Project

4 tower blocks 256 apartmentsPhased Rollout to 15,000 housing stock

Digital Inclusion

Financial Inclusion

Revenue Share

Fully supported

Wi-Fi routers installed into the core of high rise flats which

broadcasts out to the apartments.

A thorough survey is undertaken of the

infrastructure to ensure that signal is received all the way

through the building.

The Technical Solution – MDU

Copy right ITS Technology Group 2014 – May not be printed, published or digitally reproduced without express permission

Benefits to the Community

United Communities Better Opportunities Lower Cost of Services Improved Safety

Improved Education Boost to Local GDP Increased Property Value Better Health Services

Cost savings in the future with ITS

Thank You

Thank You

0844 856 9966

info@itstechnologygroup.com

www.itstechnologygroup.com

The Heath Business and Technical Park, Runcorn, Cheshire WA7 4QX

Copy right ITS Technology Group 2014 – May not be printed, published or digitally reproduced without express permission

0151 290 7000

www.firstark.com

Lakeview, Kings Business Park, Prescot, Knowsley L34 1PJ