Brighton Digital Exchange

Brighton Digital Exchange celebrates its first year

Brighton Digital Exchange - “BDX” - the ground-breaking new Internet hub, is celebrating its first anniversary.

Believed to be the first of its type in the world, the hub is owned and run by a co-operative made up of Internet and digital service provider businesses; the founder members are Fastnet, Netfuse, Xoomtalk, Fidonet, Metranet, Coreix and Wired Sussex.

The project was facilitated by Wired Sussex, working closely with Brighton & Hove City Council who saw the potential of using government broadband funding to support Brighton’s rapidly growing digital and tech sector.

After one year, almost half the businesses in New England House are benefiting from ultra-fast and competitively-priced Internet connections on offer from the members of BDX - way ahead of the original projections.

Now the BDX is starting a drive to promote the Internet hosting capacity in the facility, which offers digital businesses in Brighton and nearby a local ‘carrier-neutral’ location for servers.

Secretary of the BDX coop Shaun Fensom said “our members are offering local digital businesses the chance to host web sites and applications, or install their own servers, right here in the heart of Brighton’s digital and creative district”.

Joe Kerr, MD of local Internet provider, Fastnet is chair of the co-op. Joe said “we’ve supported the BDX project from the start because we think local Internet businesses like ours can do more by working together - that’s why we created a co-op to run the facility. It promotes collaboration and Brighton ends up benefiting”.

Phil Jones, MD of Wired Sussex also stressed the wider benefits: “businesses can take advantage of the connectivity and hosting deals on offer from members - or they can join the co-op themselves and become owners. It’s perfect for Brighton”.

Information on BDX is available at http://bdx.coop - or call 01273 448 448

Shaun Fensom, Company Secretary, Brighton Digital Exchange.