Cambridgeshire links care homes (and libraries) to broadband (UK)

Cambridgeshire CC is linking 140 foster homes, children's residential and short stay homes, children's centres, care homes, residential centres and libraries across the county using IPVPN with access provided by broadband digital subscriber lines (DSL). It means that more than 500 sites, including schools, council buildings, libraries and outlying offices, are now connected to the council's network. Paul Rouse, Cambridgeshire's procurement manager for major ICT projects, told GC News: "We have introduced some DSL-based technologies to provide access into the wide area network for sites that traditionally did not have access. "We have also used DSL services as a straight form of connectivity for a particular group of vulnerable users. This is important to us because one of the agendas we have is around the quality of provision and we don't want certain individuals to be excluded." The broadband connection is being delivered under a 10 year framework contract with Virgin Media Business which was signed in 2002. "We will be going out to the market in the not too distant future for the replacement to our contact, ready for 2012," said Rouse