Our Live Better Connected podcast series continues as we welcome the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Digital Champion, Cllr Mark Hawthorne. Mark joins our Director of Policy and Communications, Gareth Elliott, in this episode to discuss the importance of mobile connectivity for local government.

Throughout the episode, Mark and Gareth reflect on the growing need for Digital Champions within local government, who can communicate both with councils and the industry. Mark reinforces Mobile UK’s call for government-supported Digital Champions within local councils and describes these roles as integral to economic development across communities.

Mark emphasises that local government shares the same connectivity aspirations as the mobile industry with the aim to ensure local communities thrive.  

When asked, what does mobile connectivity mean for local authorities? Mark responds:

“Local government has seen an escalation in the use cases for mobile connectivity, resulting in an increase in the need for mobile infrastructure. Local councils are finding that the need for enhanced mobile connectivity has evolved from being a "nice to have" to a ‘need to have’ nationwide and, therefore, is a priority focus area.”

Adult social care is a focus for local authorities where, through the support of mobile connectivity, services can be streamlined and enhanced. Mark explains that one of the questions that has been driving local government is ‘how do we keep people in their homes for as long as they can?’ During the podcast, Mark reflects on how mobile connectivity has the potential to make this possible within the adult social care sector.

Mark also makes an interesting link between mobile connectivity and potholes. He explains that through mobile technology, local councils build a real-time picture of potholes on our roads, by collecting data from residents and providing the public with virtual updates once resolved, all through the power of mobile.

Be sure to watch and listen to the full episode here, as Mark provides many more examples of why mobile connectivity is a priority for local councils highlighting the potential it offers to local communities. To find out more about Mark and his work at the Local Government Association, follow him on LinkedIn and visit the Local Government Association website.

As part of our "Live Better Connected," we have launched an educational tool to challenge thinking around the role of mobile connectivity in our daily lives. Please subscribe to the Mobile UK YouTube channel for notifications of future episodes, and remember, you can nominate guests for future episodes by getting in touch: MobileUK@purplefish.agency.

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