Colton Superfast Broadband Why it's important and how we can get it......Mike Postle (mike@mpo1.uk)

…..And in Colton Parish?

Dec 23, 2020

Well first of all, fibre to the premises (FTTP) connections have mysteriously sprung up in parts of Nibthwaite. How or why this happy event has happened remains a mystery but Openreach moves in a mysterious way sometimes….

 

In Oxen Park, Bouth and Rusland three folks who live in those areas have put in a lot of hard work ascertaining the degree of local support for upgrading the existing Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) networks to FTTP (Oxen Park, Bouth) and replacing very slow ADSL connections with a FTTP (Rusland, small area of Bouth). In each case, a list of interested premises has gone to Openreach to be costed.

 

Only one costing has come back so far – Bouth – with Openreach adding a large number of properties to the original list, including obvious outliers, and coming up with an unrealistic costing. Work is on-going to look at a more realistic project scope and costing. The Openreach log jam referred to in the earlier post not conducive to the speedy development of these projects.

 

So what of the Government’s Broadband Upgrade registrations of interest referred to in my September posting? Some alternative suppliers have shown an interest in serving our part of the world. The problem of looking at alternatives to Openreach is assessing how viable and future-proof the projects which would result from these overtures really are. Perhaps the front runner here as a possible alternative is B4RN which has an extensive network in the South-East of the County and North Lancashire. But it’s not a quick fix as there is no B4RN infrastructure in the immediate area. Meanwhile, it’s worth persevering with trying to develop viable projects via Openreach: it’s great to have an FTTP network here in Colton!!  

Update: The National Scene

Dec 23, 2020

The previous 100% Gigabit (pure fibre) target by 2025 was always going to be a big (impossible?) ask. Following the recent spending review, this has been scaled back to ‘aiming for’ 85% coverage while only allocating £1.2bn of the promised £5bn before 2025.

 

The good news amongst this for those in ‘not spots’ is that BDUK, which controls the allocation of public funds for developing the network, is saying it will aim to target its Gigabit roll-out to properties with less than 30 Mbps speed. The current prediction is that by 2025 there’ll be about 75% Gigabit coverage nationally but this may well be higher depending on how BDUK performs.

 

The current Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme closes to new applicants on the 31st March 2021 so the log jam in the costing department of Openreach is causing some concern as some projects may not be agreed before this deadline. There is almost certainly going to be a successor voucher scheme announced but it’s not known if it will be as generous as the one currently operating.

Less than a month to register

Sep 3, 2020

Looking at the Government’s Broadband Upgrade Fund website (https://broadband-upgrade-fund.campaign.gov.uk/), I see that there have been some registrations of interest with 2 registrations in Bandrake Head, 5 in Bouth and 2 in the Rusland area so far recorded.

 

If you are at all interested in upgrading your current service to Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) – whether it be overbuilding your current Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) or your very slow ADSL connection, then it would be worthwhile registering now before the deadline at the end of this month.

There’s absolutely no commitment at this stage and it may just inform Openreach (which realistically is the only supplier in the area) where to build next.

If you are able to register as a business, all the better as businesses potentially can generate more grant funding. It’s worth noting that the definition of a business is far wider than just those which have a company registration. A sole trader – full or part time – can qualify & of course farms also qualify.  The DCMS guidance says:  

“Vouchers may only be used for eligible connections at premises from which you actively trade. This may be your registered office and/or trading address.......”

 

Registration on this web site and waiting for something to happen may be an option but it’s also preferable to gather likeminded neighbours and register their details directly with Openreach’s Community Fibre Team. I’m happy to assist any local coordinators to see this process through to its ultrafast (FTTP) conclusion….

Meeting virtually

Aug 6, 2020
As I indicated in my last post, I feel a meeting coming on! This one mainly targeted at anyone in the Bouth or Oxen Park areas where overbuilding is a possibility and, in a few cases, where FTTC hasn’t reached in those areas. The sort of things, I think might be helpful to address are:
*Why think of overbuilding?
*Network supplier(s).
*What grants are potentially available and what are the conditions for obtaining them?
*How to aggregate demand to produce a viable project.
*Next steps.
I’ll start with a brief presentation and then go on to try to answer any questions which come up.
 
The Zoom meeting will start at 7 pm on Monday 10th August and anyone from Colton Parish can join by emailing me in advance (mike@mpo1.uk) and letting me know from what part of the Parish they come. I’ll then send a link to them. 

Aggregating Demand

Aug 5, 2020
One of the challenges in getting any project off the ground is getting enough people interested. The Government has recently come up with a registration process (https://broadband-upgrade-fund.campaign.gov.uk/about) designed to help this and increase take up in the three rural areas covered by the Broadband Upgrade Fund: part of its Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. Cumbria is one of the areas which qualifies for these Rural Gigabit Connectivity Vouchers.
 
So should you register? possibly – but it’s no substitute for local community action in generating the enthusiasm and drive to get the project done. My hunch is that it will not result in economically viable close geographical groupings. Also although the steps described on the site give the impression that there are a number of Broadband suppliers queuing up to build a full fibre network, in practice in our area, the only game in town is Openreach.
 
My pitch is that to get a viable project off the ground will require word of mouth and local community action. Then, in our case, to deal directly with Openreach by registering under their Community Fibre Partnership scheme. This is the route we have gone down in Colton and it’s now been made easier as I’ve described in earlier posts.
 
Under normal circumstances, I’d see a meeting coming on over coffee (or whatever tipple takes your fancy) and biscuits. This isn’t viable at the moment but if anyone is interested – particularly in Bouth and Oxen Park – where overbuilding is a possibility, I’ll host a short Zoom meeting 7 pm Monday 10th August. I’ll cover the steps necessary to bring a viable Community Fibre Project to fruition in a short presentation and try to answer any questions which arise.
 
To join send me an email on mike@mpo1.uk let me know which part of the Parish you are and I'll send you a link.
 
 
 

Oxen Park and Bouth - suitable for Overbuilding?

Aug 4, 2020
One of the interesting aspects of the Rural Gigabit Connectivity scheme is that it’s not just for those left in the slow lane with ADSL connections (& since you ask those in the Rusland area are getting together to do something about this). It’s also for anyone with less than 100 Mbps download speed – and that includes everyone who currently has fibre to the cabinet. This is all part of the drive towards full fibre and Gigabit connectivity.
 
So why would you want to move from FTTC and overbuild to get fibre coming into your home or business? Even if you are happy with your current speed and the reliability of the copper wire which brings the signal to you from the cabinet (& that last one is a big ‘if’ here), it uses old technology and is not in any way future proof. In a couple of years’ time, speeds of 40 Mbps which many of you are getting with FTTC will be looked on as slow. With fibre to your house or business, the speeds you can get are only limited by the equipment either end of the fibre  - and that is a function of what you are prepared to pay for.
 
So here’s an opportunity for residents of Oxen Park & Bouth to put together Community Fibre Partnerships which will in all probability generate vouchers which will cover the whole cost of FTTP networks in the two areas.
 
Is there a demand? Have a word with folks in your locality and let me know. I’m happy to advise to help you achieve this. There is a degree of urgency in this as the Voucher scheme will close to new applicants at the end of the financial year. It’s likely to be replaced but I doubt if its replacement will be as generous.
 
 
 

The ducks are in a row

Jun 29, 2020

Little by little we have now got to a stage where the next set of community projects begin to look viable. There are now three strands (ducks?) which line up:

 

Firstly there’s the DCMS rural Gigabit Connectivity scheme (RGC), which I outlined in my last post, offering vouchers worth £1.5k (residential) and £3.5k (business) and a requirement to take a 30 Mbps service min for 1 yr min.

 

Then there’s Openreach’s helping the Community Fibre Programme along by potentially taking the financial risk themselves – again I outlined this in the last post.

 

The final ‘duck’ in this row is the recently approved Borderlands Growth Deal which will make £4m available to top up funding provided by the RGC. Cumbrian communities will be eligible for this.

 

All this of course is to bring full fibre (FTTP) ie gigabit-capable broadband to local communities.

 

So who’s eligible? Firstly those in the remaining not spots which are the North of the parish. Assuming there is sufficient local community demand, it should now be possible to take it off the back burner and get on with this project.

 

Interestingly, those of you who are getting less than 30 Mbps from a fibre cabinet (ie FTTC) will also be eligible to achieve some valuable future-proofing and upgrade to FTTP if you act as a group.

 

I’ll put forward some thoughts of how to move these ideas on to practical reality in due course but it starts with beginning the conversation with your neighbours and establishing the demand.

Making it Easier

Apr 30, 2020
In a post last Summer, I outlined the launching of a more generous voucher scheme for rural areas – the Rural Gigabit Broadband Connectivity scheme (RGC) which is offering £3.5k for businesses and £1.5k for residents with no requirement for a fixed ratio of businesses to residential properties and a requirement to take upwards of (only) a 30 Mbps service. This DCMS scheme is still open but take up through the Community Fibre Partnership (CFP) scheme has not been as strong as envisaged. Partly this is because of the requirement for a legal entity to contract with the provider – usually Openreach – and the financial risks involved.
 
Openreach are now actively looking at helping this process by taking the financial risk themselves where a 70% take up of vouchers would cover the whole cost of a scheme. In such a case, there would be no need for a legal entity to represent the community.
 
This potentially could help fill in the few not spots we have in the north of the Parish but it also means that if there is a cluster of properties on the edge of an area already covered by a fibre cabinet (FTTC) which currently get less that 30 Mbps then they might be able to look to their own CFP. Given that fibre cabinets are classed as a node now, a viable scheme may result from very few properties (more than 2) – especially if one or more were businesses.
 
Let me know if you are interested in following this up. As always for this type of scheme, it requires some drive and commitment from those who potentially stand to benefit.    
 
 
   

Colton gets FTTP just in time

Apr 30, 2020
Those of us who have been languishing in the slow lane here in Colton hamlet have now got fibre to the premises (FTTP). The Community Fibre Partnership (CFP) finally delivered the pure fibre network just before Christmas and then everyone signed up for the at least 100 Mbps service that the contract demands early in the New Year. I had hoped to be able to say well before now that all is ‘done and dusted’ but one property is still waiting for their connection to the house because of unexpected technical issues and this is preventing the CFP from claiming the DCMS vouchers for payment. Clearly with the current lockdown that’s not going to happen for some while yet.
 
However all the rest of us (19 properties – residential and business) are enjoying an ultrafast connection which is just what’s needed for virtual coffee mornings, keeping in touch with friends and family, streaming films, conducting business meetings etc etc – all so necessary when we are confined to barracks so to speak.
 
Which I suppose brings us to my first blog post in June 2013 in which I was espousing the benefits of superfast broadband and saying that communities which get left behind will be at a severe disadvantage. Nearly seven years on this has become very obvious. Luckily, here in Colton Parish we now are well served with only a few not spots still lingering. I’ll address what we can do about this in a subsequent post. Meanwhile, stay safe and enjoy what superfast connectivity can do to make things easier as the lock down continues.

Colton Hamlet

Jul 30, 2019
I should just add that those of us living in this part of the Parish are still waiting for our full fibre network following the successful CFP and voucher scheme approval. Openreach have informed us that all the planning has been done and contracts for the work are being finalised. Under the terms of the contact, they have until the end of the year to complete the work although we’re all hoping to join the fast set much sooner! 
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