This is a Storify around the NextGen 12 Conference in The City of Westminster, London. I’m chairing the conference and will also try to keep content moving into the Storify.

Lorne Mitchell tells a story (an allegory) at #nextgen12 twitpic.com/b27o8kBrian_Condon

I am at #NextGen12 today. Looking forward to Chairing a session on broadband policy. Good line up over the next 2 days!

Listening to a fireside story from @lornemitchell at #nextgen12

Listening to a story from Lorne Mitchell at #NextGen12. Hilarious.

#nextgen12 Find 10 of Spades, 5 of Spades, 2 of Spades, Queen of Hearts, Queen of Diamonds, Ace of Clubs and the Joker to win today’s prize!

Peter Cochrane on stage at #NextGen12 pic.twitter.com/reW5W86bB4theRuralSouth

Listening to Peter Cochrane OBE talk bandwidth and the future of data demand #NextGen12

Peter is going for the bigger picture and looking at what it means for the way we produce products and services. 3D printing is about shipping designs not shipping products.

#NextGen12. Peter Cochrane. Stellar show: take-away-"without hi-speed intelligence, we`re dead". Build better future bottom-up.

#NextGen12. PeterCochrane. next tech hot-spot= intersection of nano_AI+IT+Bio…

At NextGen conf, Prof Peter Cochrane -time to wake-up + stop sweating the small stuff, gear-shift thinking + change is needed #NextGen12

#NextGen12. PeterCochrane. User-Generated Design+ 3-D print= `Open Hardware`…

Peter Cochrane makes a good point re the west stumbling into the future with no plan. At #NextGen12

#NextGen12. PeterCochrane. Europe is (unlike Asia) on a random walk into the future. we can have vision, mission, plan too!

The need to stop talking and start doing driven home at #NextGen12. How did we end up with the mess that is BDUK?

RT @paulinerigby: RT @paulinerigby: Broadband: never have so many talked so long with so little effect – to paraphrase @PeterCochrane @ #nextgen12

RT @hugopickering: RT @hugopickering: Peter Cochrane makes a good point re the west stumbling into the future with no plan. At #NextGen12

@hugopickering #NextGen12 there is a plan, peter doesn’t like it, which is his right

"Fibre to home is futureproof and as much funding as possible should be devoted to it," says Karin Ahl of FTTH Council Europe #NextGen12

@Watchingtheflow Your plan Bill. Patching up the old phone network to protect your investment is Not Good Plan #nextgen12 #da12bb

#nextgen12 ‘Big plan is to cover the whole area’ Karin Ali. This means fibre, not copper phone lines. Say no to #fttc stopgaps.

"For every 1,000 new FTTH end users 80 new jobs are created," says Karin Ahl of FTTH Council Europe #NextGen12

Live blog #NextGen12 here http://t.co/TXI2tDIw

FT reports that DG Comp is ready to approve BDUK State Aid. Maybe @eurohumph will give an update at #nextgen12. Who blinked?

NextGen Events :: NextGen 12 – 8 & 9 October 2012 :: Live webcast from NextGen 12The UK’s independent focus for next generation broadband transformation as an essential foundation for economic growth, innovation and easier development.

#nextgen12 Prysmian’s Richard Thomas says biggest consumer of optical fiber is mobile not access – China Mobile doing fibre to the antenna.

Richard Thomas Prysmian Group presentation available for download #NextGen12 http://t.co/kqTjduTU + live http://t.co/m3zBluvo

Peter Cochrane said "stop talking and start building"; hearing from Richard Thomas, Prysmian about project in Almond in Scotland #NextGen12

RT @helenmilner: RT @helenmilner: Liv Garfield up now at #nextgen12 RT @finalninth: @nextgen12 The Queen of Hearts is on!

Liv Garfield up now at #nextgen12 RT @finalninth: @nextgen12 The Queen of Hearts is on!

RT @cyberdoyle: RT @cyberdoyle: Fibre on demand to rural areas not available. cos we aint got cabinets. so we stay on dial up? #nextgen12

Liv Garfield says no one needs more than 24 MB – can’t generate more than that from a family #nextgen12 twitpic.com/b29n7mBrian_Condon

BT are hiring former forces personel in Open Reach #NextGen12

Good! Liv Garfield says fibre in the great is no good unless people use it – growth for businesses and for communities #NextGen12 #BT

@brian_condon Please could she tell my kids that? #nextgen12

@ClaireatWaves she said that they can’t re-create or simulate the conditions or uses more than total of 24mbps per household. #NextGen12

Liv Garfield says BT is the only global company who is able to physically and commercially deliver fibre #NextGen12

@helenmilner Liv is a great speaker, but she believes the hype. Copper is not the future. #nextgen12

🙂 thx to @kat_braybrooke @brian_condon & #nextgen12 audience for great discussion re importance of digital inclusion & transparency. @OKFN

Really enjoyed the @kat_braybrooke and @helenmilner discussion at #NextGen12 – some delegates looked a bit scared I thought! 🙂

It’s ok though, we’re now back on more comfortable ground talking cloud and wireless infrastructure. #nextgen12

Nicholas James talking about mobile broadband for tenants – as the best solution #NextGen12 #digihousing

RT @kat_braybrooke: RT @kat_braybrooke: for more info re: the apps I referenced in #nextgen12 #digitalinclusion panel just now, links: @OKFN @openspending @ …

@danielheery sits in the balcony #nextgen12 under a sign that says ‘unfading splendour’ ! pic.twitter.com/9cVinY4kBrian_Condon

A lovely symmetry talking about future tech in beautiful old building MT @brian_condon: ‘unfading splendour’ pic.twitter.com/GKV0eIw8 #NextGen12helen milner

#nextgen12 The Joker in the pack which looks like a Brussels Sprout (with his rules on State Aid) continue to dominate the debate!

@brian_condon is sitting under banner "true light" exactly what his insightful chairing deliver ing at #nextgen12 pic.twitter.com/ayQsf7T3danielheery

@sivangr @openspending @schoolofdata i was mentioning apps + initiatives by @okfn that promote digital inclusion + literacy at #nextgen12 😉

@hokulele glad you enjoyed – was interesting (& important!) discussion. would like to hear more about your work! cc @helenmilner #nextgen12

RT @kat_braybrooke: I was mentioning apps + initiatives by @OKFN that promote digital inclusion + literacy at #nextgen12 😉 (@SchoolofData)

Then we split into 2 sessions running in parallel

"From Oxford Tweet to Leicester Share" session kicking off at #NextGen12 – all about how Westminster worked with O2 on free WiFi

O2 wifi in Westminster biggest outdoor free wifi in Europe #nextgen12

#nextgen12 Listening to Wesminster City Council and O2 talk about their WiFi project @ruckuswireless

There’s quite a bit of Tweeting from the rural broadband session

Scream if you want to go faster – rural broadband workshop streaming live from 4.30pm at join in at http://t.co/j5kdeg4y #nextgen12

#nextgen12 standing room only in Cambrian rural broadband break-out!

Joker Brussels Sprout thinking on Fixed Wireless networks being discussed at #nextgen12 rural broadband break-out

Licenced or Unlicenced for fixed wireless rural networks? That is the question at #nextgen12 breakout on rural broadband.

Fixed wireless quite capable of providing 35Mbps NGA with 40 years mean time before failure at #nextgen12 breakout on rural broadband

Hearing about allpay (wireless broadband) on the church towers in #Herefordshire at #NextGen12 How is it being used?

Church of England enlightened by supporting wireless schemes in from churches in Herefordshire, Norfolk & Kent! Elegant circle at #nextgen12

No whisky yet from Daniel Heery championing #fieryspirits at #nextgen12.

@danielheery outlining challenges for rural broadband schemes: weather, powercuts, coordination, & finance are some at #nextgen12

@danielheery outlining challenges for rural broadband schemes: weather, powercuts, coordination, & finance are some at #nextgen12

Knave of Diamonds all over the place at #nextgen12. The rise and rise of community "fiery spirits" very exciting at #nextgen12 !!

Real worries on risk of bankrolling schemes when Wildcard Hearts go and trump your local scheme at #nextgen12