Orange Predicts Britain's Future With The Launch Of The Connected Britain Interactive Map

Are we destined to be a nation of city slickers or rural retreaters?  Find out using the map

London, 17 December 2009: Orange has announced the launch of its online interactive map, designed to showcase the findings from its Connected Britain research and reveal how universal access to fast and reliable mobile and fixed broadband could transform the UK. www.orange.co.uk/connectedbritain shows which regions and cities could see their populations explode - or shrink - in the future, as the government’s Digital Britain report becomes a reality and more people are able to choose where they live and work.

Packed with interesting facts about the UK’s major regions and cities, the map guides visitors through what makes each place tick, how advanced it currently is in offering flexible working options, and how it could change in the future.

Are you dreaming of urban apartment living or is a country cottage more your thing? Do you find the coast calming or is the suburban semi more up your street? A fun, one-minute survey on the interactive map website will help visitors find out where they are most suited to living and working and participants will also be automatically entered into a prize draw(1) to win a brand new Samsung Omnia Pro B7330, HTC Touch Pro2 or Samsung Genio Qwerty, or some handy Orange branded goodies, perfect for the home or work office.

The Connected Britain research, carried out in 2009, found that the South West of England could see a population increase of more than 150% by 2015 as universal access to reliable and fast internet becomes the norm. London would retain its place as a top location with a 40% increase predicted, while Scotland could see a population jump of more than 50% as workers head North.

The report, which summarises the findings of a survey of 3,281 office workers from the UK, also revealed that UK business could save up to £31.7 billion(2) by giving employees the ability to work more flexibly.

Robert Ainger, Director of Corporate Marketing, Orange UK, said, “Our research found that a digitally connected workforce could change the face of Britain as we know it. Not only could the population itself shift, but the way we work could also fundamentally change. The interactive map means that visitors to the site can quickly check out their current location or somewhere else that takes their fancy, to see how things are likely to pan out there in future.”

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Notes to editors
(1) Terms and conditions apply.  Visit the interactive map website for more details

(2) Total cost savings would be £32 billion based on ONS UK working population of 29m (of which 16% would be willing to take a paycut), combined with an estimated 1.3 million workers (of which 42% would be willing to forgo the car) with company car with average running costs of £250 per month.

Once the cost of providing these employees with the technology needed to work flexibly is removed (as little as £55 per month for Orange internet, laptap and mobile phone) UK business stands to save £31.7 billion.