BT backs £3 million digital exchange plan

The telecommunications giant BT has put its weight behind a project that has backing from both industry, government and academia, in a bid to level the digital content exchange playing field

The first phase of a government-backed £3 million industry initiative designed to enhance the public exchange of digital content has been completed.

As part of the BT-led 'Participate' project, which is supported by funding from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), two schools in Bath used mobile phone technology and sensors to explore environmental issues, such as the level of carbon monoxide present in the atmosphere.

The second part of the schools trial will commence this month. The overall project, which includes a number of other trials between now and 2008, will last for three years and also has the backing from the BBC, Blast Theory, Microsoft Research Cambridge, ScienceScope, the University of Bath and the University of Nottingham.

The government has welcomed the project. "This initiative provides a real opportunity to harness the world class expertise that we possess in the UK and direct it towards the task of wealth creation," said Lord Sainsbury, Science and Innovation Minister.

"By providing a focus for collaboration and delivery, this partnership should establish British industry as the world leader in this area and be an attractive proposition for investors."

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