John Duncan, Connected Places Lead for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, solves connectivity issues for the largest metropolitan area in Northern England. <\/p>\n
Recently, at Connected Britain in London, Duncan appeared on Beyond the Cable, a Broadband Communities<\/a> podcast, to discuss the Greater Manchester Combined Authority\u2019s cutting-edge work to better connect the area\u2019s nearly 3 million residents.<\/p>\n Leading strategic policy initiatives for Greater Manchester, Duncan said he works extensively with fiber and mobile providers to make sure network investments are filling inclusion gaps.<\/p>\n Additionally, Duncan said he works to make sure connectivity is affordable for the citizens of Greater Manchester. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Greater Manchester is aiming for 100% coverage by 2030, according to Duncan.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a great relationship with the providers, and we do a lot of collaboration and partnership work,\u201d he said. \u201cWe also have something called the GM One Network, which is the largest metropolitan public-sector network in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n Duncan said the network includes over 3,000 kilometers (over 1,800 miles) of fiber, connecting vital public services.<\/p>\n Driving a new wave of AI growth<\/p>\n The digital infrastructure in Greater Manchester has also laid the foundation for economic growth, Duncan said.<\/p>\n As such, Duncan said the Greater Manchester Combined Authority\u2019s new strategy to become a \u201cgrowth zone\u201d for AI has become a big focus of his lately.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got the largest cluster of AI businesses in the UK outside of London,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, we\u2019re doing some great work already.\u201d<\/p>\n Not lost, however, is leveraging the growth in Manchester to better impact citizen access to services like healthcare. He said sustainable growth also remains a priority.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/BBC-2026-Banner-1-1-1024x120.png\")
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