FOLLOWING the Review's campaign to get Forest computer-users hooked up to 'vital' broadband net services, a public meeting is to be held on the issue.
It is being organised by the Lydney Area Partnership, which initially pointed up the fact that Forest firms and individuals may fall behind other areas – and worse, fail to attract new industry.
The meeting is to take place in the town's Victoria Centre on September 10 starting at 6pm.
"It is mainly about Lydney and its surroundings but of course the issue has Forest-wide implications," said Partnership spokesperson Toni Fagan.
She said some major players would be on the platform including Jim Brooks, who represented a major lobbying agency on e-commerce, and delegates from Gloucestershire First who were concerned about county-wide issues.
"Among the aims is to get a real picture of how big the true demand for broadband actually is in the area," she said.
The meeting would also be spelling out just what broadband means and how vital it is to achieve local access – in the face of claims by BT that it may need as many as 400 subscribers per exchange to register an interest before it will introduce the service.
"We hope what will emerge is a concerted drive to get the service established locally," said Toni.
She also urged anyone with a need for broadband to register this interest as soon as possible via their Internet Service Provider (ISP).