Dorset . . . cream teas, Enid Blyton, fossils and not one inch of motorway. That’s the image you have in mind, right? Sure, rural Dorset is a historic and incredibly beautiful place to live, work and visit. But who says a stunning landscape has to mean rubbish connectivity? We are leading a Government-backed £6.7… Read more 5Go mad in Dorset
What an incredibly strange few weeks it’s been . . . not least on the digital front. My mischievous cat Uhtred became an internet sensation. Apparently his standard trick of jumping into a cardboard box warrants almost a million views on LADbible – strange times. My youngest daughter recorded that footage and posted it on… Read more Viral videos, online lessons and interviews via camper van
I’ve always had the deepest respect for teachers and teaching assistants – big shout out to Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Pitfeld at Bridport Primary School – but really, you guys, wow! Dorset schools are taking different approaches to supporting children’s learning at home during school closure. My nine-year old’s school has gone digital for those… Read more Yay! We made it through our first year of home schooling! Wait – what do you mean it’s only been a week?
Website manager Laura Hall is a Gen-Xer whose main coping skill is putting the tech down and doing something else: baking, gardening, painting. Here she tells us what tech – and what other things – are getting her through self-isolation. There is a long-standing myth that we webby computer nerds never go outside and now… Read more A geek’s guide to self-isolation
Just in time for panto season Dorset Council launched a re-designed Performance Licence Service. Oh no we didn’t, oh yes we did! Pantomimes, fashion shoots, film productions and TV shows, anything that involves a child in a performing capacity requires a licence issued by the Local Authority. The application for the licence requires both the… Read more Performance Licence Service
Today is a big day for improved mobile connectivity in rural Dorset. We’re really excited to announce that our recent 5G RuralDorset consortium’s bid to the Government’s Rural Connected Communities Competition has been successful. We’d especially like to thank all the organisations who supported our bid including the RNLI, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and… Read more Dorset’s £4.3 million to boost rural mobile connectivity
What is 5G? The fifth generation of cellular wireless connectivity. Unlike 3G, 4G, etc, the term 5G doesn’t refer to a single thing but to a combination of technologies – wireless communications, hardware and software – that together offer high quality network services. Why is 5G interesting? 5G brings three new aspects to the table:… Read more 5G RuralDorset – frequently asked questions
In December Dorset Council took delivery of an AV1 Avatar, we have leased him from the manufacturer No Isolation for a period of three months. During this time, we are planning to use him to promote the opportunity he offers for children who are physically unable to attend school to do so virtually via the… Read more Robots to help children attend school
Why can’t children resist toilet humour? When we asked a group of kids at Prince of Wales School what they thought the future would look like, why did one suggest there would be toilet robots to hand out loo paper and candy? Could a group of sensible, serious and stereotypically boring adults – council staff… Read more Our new Digital Dorset Podcast
Yesterday marked the culmination of eight fairly intense weeks as we submitted our bid to the Rural Connected Communities competition. Here’s a summary of the proposal that our consortium of local, national and multi-national partners, which we have called 5G RuralDorset, has put forward to Government. Summary We will address the cost and design challenges… Read more Rural Dorset seeks funds for 5G testbeds
