Essex & Herts Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ)
Essex & Herts Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ)
Epping Forest District Council has always had a progressive and innovative approach to digital infrastructure, putting digital at the heart of its offer to current and future businesses and exploring initiatives to enable the district’s residents and businesses to make the most of digital. Piloting the Superfast Essex model of intervention to deliver fibre broadband to its ‘hard to reach’ rural premises and co-founding, with Essex County Council, and leading the Essex + Herts Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ), the district has continually sought to maximise its digital dividend. Like many places, Epping Forest continues to push its superfast broadband coverage towards over 99% of premises, however, working closely with business to understand their infrastructure and application needs, within that figure the district has an Essex-leading level of gigabit capable, full fibre broadband provision. With currently over 70% of fibre coverage the district is well ahead of both the local and national average coverage levels making it the ideal location for businesses, whatever their data requirements, as well as for the increasing numbers of people working from home that need a reliable high-capacity connection to enable them to work effectively. The district is always striving to be ahead of the game and aiming for a plug and play model with infrastructure in place to take advantage of new companies arriving or new developments taking place across sectors.
The DIZ has been recognised by Digital Leaders who named it as the ‘Cross-Sector Digital Collaboration of the Year’ in 2020 and it was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by iese following its submission to the 2021 Public Sector Transformation Awards. Through its leadership of the DIZ, which is a cross-sector, cross-border collaboration, Epping Forest district will continue to work with partners to attract funding, infrastructure investment, innovation and digital opportunities that it would otherwise be unable to access working alone. This will ensure that the district remains at the heart of this unique, agenda leading partnership and well-positioned to exploit whatever opportunities emerging digital technology, approaches and applications bring forward.
For further information click here