Rural Broadband Programme

An interesting article in the Western Daily Press here.

Enford is still due for a survey by BT in early 2015, after which we should find out what, if any, improvement is to be made to our phone infrastructure.

Update

On 20 May 2014, Digital Inclusion sent me a link their new web page at here. I sent them the following email:

In Oct 2013 you emailed me to say (with respect to the Enford area) 'I am also able to confirm that work is expected to begin in the wider area in early 2014'

In Feb this year you emailed me to say that 'work is due to start in your area towards the end of this year (ie. 2014)'.

According to this website my postcode SN9 6DF puts me in the Future Deployment stage. The website states 'Please rest assured that if your postcode is currently in the future deployment stage, it will enter the survey stage at some point in 2015.

Does this amount to another slippage?

They responded as follows:

I can confirm that we are still on track to begin work late this year surveying the infrastructure in your area; subject to successful survey, we would look to upgrade the area to fibre mid-2015.

We will be regularly updating our postcode checker so would advise to check back for an update nearer the time.

Update - Feb 2014

On 7 Feb 2014, I emailed Digital Inclusion:

‘In your last email, you said that work was expected to begin in early 2014. Are you able to provide any more details at this point?

I looked on the Wiltshire Online website but couldn’t find information regarding our village.’

I received the following reply:

‘Thank you for your email.

I am afraid that I misinformed you in my original email and work is due to start in your area towards the end of this year and not the beginning; apologies for getting my information wrong.

However, I would hope that you will be in a position to order fibre broadband by Spring 2015 at the latest and hopefully sooner as progress with our rollout continues to be ahead of schedule. 

Once again, apologies for misinforming you.’

Update

On 6 Oct 2013, I emailed the Wiltshire Digital Inclusion programme:

‘Is there somewhere that we are now able to see what infrastructure improvements BT will be implementing in our parish (Enford)?’

I received the following response:

‘I can confirm that Enford is in the intervention area for the Wiltshire Online programme; this means we are able to survey and invest in the area.  I cannot comment at this stage on the outcome of the survey or the improved speeds the area can expect. 

 I am also able to confirm that work is expected to begin in the wider area in early 2014; this is the beginning of the process in your area and when each village or community can order the improved service will vary.  The installation process begins with BT Openreach undertaking on-the-ground surveys to ensure that their existing infrastructure is fit for purpose, for example that the ducts that currently carry the copper wires are able to accept the new fibre cable;  some of the ducting has been in place for many years and may be damaged and need repair before the fibre can be installed.  So although we know how the programme will progress, until all of the survey work is completed we cannot absolutely guarantee when we can get to a particular community.’

Rural Broadband Update

'Rural communities have continued to suffer a raw deal in the ‘piecemeal’ roll-out of the broadband project across the UK, leading rural network ACRE said today. 

See the rest of the article at http://www.communityfirst.org.uk/index.php/news/355-broadband-roll-out-is-raw-deal-for-rural-communities

Update

I emailed Wiltshire Online with the query below:

I am chairman of the Community Led Plan steering committee for the parish of Enford (includes villages/hamlets of East Chisenbury, West Chisenbury, Coombe, Compton, Fifield and New Town).

I would like to devote a section of the plan to the future of broadband, but I can find nothing specific to our parish on this website. Where can I find out (on a village by village basis) a description of what improvements to the infrastructure are planned as a result of this project?

I received the following reply:

Following the announcement of BT as our preferred bidder we are undergoing a period of contract finalisation and will aim to sign the contract at the end of this month.

Once we have completed the contract with BT we will have an overall plan that we'll be able to share with communities but please be aware even at that stage we will not be able to offer information at parish level. More specific information will follow later once BT has completed surveys in each of the areas for the network build.

I will be able to provide more information about how we will communicate the roll out plan following contract signature. Information will be shared via Area Boards and our website so please revisit at the end of the month for the most up to date information.

If anyone has any inside information, please feel free to share...

Phone Problems

We just had our phone re-connected after two and a half weeks without. Maybe moving our phone account from BT to Southern Electric wasn't such a good idea after all - it's just added another layer of bureaucracy  between me (the customer) and BT (who still maintain the infrastructure regardless of who you pay your broadband and phone bills to).

Anyhow, according to the engineer who rang to let us know the line had been fixed, it seems there are major problems with the underground cable which runs from the west end of Coombe Lane, via the A345 back to Netheravon. So look out for road works sometime soon.

I suggested that it might be more cost effective to simply replace the cable with fibre-optic - we'd get a faster, more reliable broadband and BT would make a healthy profit from sale of the metal. But he wouldn't be drawn on that one.