Friday 6 May 2016

Superfast broadband - just in time

Ministers drop multi-million pound plan to connect the 'final 5%' of the country without superfast broadband

Plans to deliver superfast broadband to the 'final 5 per cent' of the country have been dropped because they are too expensive.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3576334/Villages-robbed-fast-internet-save-cash-Ministers-drop-multi-million-pound-plan-connect-final-5-country-without-superfast-broadband.html

Britain deserves better on broadband

'How many times have we heard the promise that faster computer speeds would be delivered to every corner of the land?'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2016/05/05/britain-deserves-better-on-broadband/

BT profits soar to £3bn as it raises prices: Company pushes some charges up by 20% as it spends billions on sports rights and pay TV

'Consumer groups have warned that the increasing polarisation of communication services in the hands of a small group of companies leaves customers at risk of unfair price rises and lower levels of service.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3576292/BT-profits-soar-3bn-raises-prices-Company-pushes-charges-20-spends-billions-sports-rights-pay-TV.html

OnLincolnshire

From: Geoff Hall
Sent: 05 May 2016 19:38
To: Stephen Brookes
Subject: Upgrade for Nocton

Hi Steve,

I refer to my question to you regarding an extra line.  Have you had a response from BT yet please?

You may also like to know there is no evidence that the new Cab 17 has power yet, nor has there been any BT Openreach team working on the Cab 17 or Pillar 3/2 as far as we are aware. How does this gel with the estimated completion of early May please?

You may like to see my last two reports for the community:
Would it be possible to let us have a formal update… and also whether or not there is any further information on possible solutions for those properties still connected to Metheringham Cab 3?

Best regards,
Geoff


From: Stephen Brookes
Sent: 06 May 2016 08:31
To: Geoff Hall
Subject: RE: Upgrade for Nocton

Good Morning Geoff

BT assure me that the cabinet has power, it has certification to that effect and from that perspective is complete.

You will not see BT Openreach vans in the area because Carrillion Telent (CT) and their sub-contractors are carrying out the work on behalf of Openreach. This is standard practice both in Lincolnshire and across the UK.

With regard to the solution for the other lines currently excluded; this remains both a local and UK wide issue associated with 'Equivalence' and whilst we are looking at how best to deal with the county-wide issue, because it is an OFCOM judgement, answers aren't going to be very quick in arriving.

Regards
Steve
Steve Brookes
Lincolnshire Broadband Programme Manager
Tel. 01522 552450
Mob. 07825 043978



Carillion telent

This company 'is dedicated to providing and transforming the way support is delivered to Openreach.'

http://www.carilliontelent.com/

Case Study: BT Openreach

http://www.carillionplc.com/case-studies/utilities/bt-openreach.aspx

3 comments:

  1. We contacted Stephen Phillips a couple of weeks ago who passed on our frustrations on to Openreach. Stephen's office has just got back to us with a response from Openreach implying that everything will be fine and it's in the hands of OnLincolnshire. I attach their response below:

    Dear Mr Philips,

    Thank you for the letter that you sent to Gavin Patterson, that was dated 25 April, on behalf of the residents who live on Main St, Nocton.

    I appreciate the residents frustration and need for fibre broadband, especially as other residents nearby have the service. I’ve looked into this.

    I’m sorry that the residents were told that they couldn’t be connected to fibre broadband due to OFCOM’s equivalence rules. This isn’t an accurate statement.

    Fibre broadband availability
    The area is served via cabinet 3 connected to our Metheringham exchange. The good news is that both have been upgraded to deliver fibre broadband services with support from the ‘Onlincolnshire’ BDUK project – in which BT is a delivery partner. As you’re probably aware, the aim of the project is to deploy fibre broadband in areas not covered by private commercial markets.

    However, the technology that we have largely deployed is ‘Fibre to the Cabinet’ (FTTC). This will be available to a number of premises locally. However, we’ve been clear in our communications that when a cabinet is upgraded it doesn’t mean that all premises will be able to get the service. This is what has happened here.

    FTTC technology has line length limitations. If the distance from the premises to the fibre cabinet is greater than 1.5km, the service will not work reliably. And as the residents have already indicated, their homes fall into this category as they’re over 1.5km from the fibre cabinet. This means that their lines are unfortunately too long to support a reliable FTTC service.

    Onlincolnshire
    We continue to work on technical solutions (for example, Fibre to the Premises, extending the existing fibre cable route or deploying alternative technology), but these can be economically challenging and will require public funding.

    To help, I’ve been in touch with one of my colleagues who works in the ‘Onlincolnshire’ BDUK project team and I’ve been told that the residents affected by long lines are very much part of project team’s plans to be upgraded to fibre broadband in the near future.

    I therefore suggest that the residents contact the ‘Onlincolnshire’ BDUK project team to let them know of their requirements. More information is available at the following link:

    http://www.onlincolnshire.org/

    The decision as to when the upgrade takes place rests with the project team, who are managing the delivery of the programme.

    Finally
    I'm really sorry that we're unable to provide an immediate solution for the residents but I hope my comments help to explain our current position and it assures you of our ambition to deliver fibre broadband for as many communities as quickly as we can.


    Kind regards,


    Matthew Evans
    High level complaints
    Openreach


    Jason & Maria (Embsay HOlt)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Geoff,
    Regarding the 14 properties without access to the new fibre cab, I contacted Stephen Philips MP who in turn has contacted Openreach.
    Better get in touch with Onlincolnshire’ BDUK project team then.......going round in circles springs to mind.


    Dear Mr Mellor,

    Please see below for the response from Openreach regarding broadband access in Nocton.

    Best wishes,

    Emma


    Emma Salisbury
    Senior Parliamentary Assistant
    Office of Stephen Phillips QC MP

    http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/img/portlgrn.gif

    House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
    020 7219 7146




    Dear Mr Philips,

    Thank you for the letter that you sent to Gavin Patterson, that was dated 25 April, on behalf of the residents who live on Main St, Nocton.

    I appreciate the residents frustration and need for fibre broadband, especially as other residents nearby have the service. I’ve looked into this.

    I’m sorry that the residents were told that they couldn’t be connected to fibre broadband due to OFCOM’s equivalence rules. This isn’t an accurate statement.

    Fibre broadband availability
    The area is served via cabinet 3 connected to our Metheringham exchange. The good news is that both have been upgraded to deliver fibre broadband services with support from the ‘Onlincolnshire’ BDUK project – in which BT is a delivery partner. As you’re probably aware, the aim of the project is to deploy fibre broadband in areas not covered by private commercial markets.

    However, the technology that we have largely deployed is ‘Fibre to the Cabinet’ (FTTC). This will be available to a number of premises locally. However, we’ve been clear in our communications that when a cabinet is upgraded it doesn’t mean that all premises will be able to get the service. This is what has happened here.

    FTTC technology has line length limitations. If the distance from the premises to the fibre cabinet is greater than 1.5km, the service will not work reliably. And as the residents have already indicated, their homes fall into this category as they’re over 1.5km from the fibre cabinet. This means that their lines are unfortunately too long to support a reliable FTTC service.

    Onlincolnshire
    We continue to work on technical solutions (for example, Fibre to the Premises, extending the existing fibre cable route or deploying alternative technology), but these can be economically challenging and will require public funding.

    To help, I’ve been in touch with one of my colleagues who works in the ‘Onlincolnshire’ BDUK project team and I’ve been told that the residents affected by long lines are very much part of project team’s plans to be upgraded to fibre broadband in the near future.

    I therefore suggest that the residents contact the ‘Onlincolnshire’ BDUK project team to let them know of their requirements. More information is available at the following link:

    http://www.onlincolnshire.org/

    The decision as to when the upgrade takes place rests with the project team, who are managing the delivery of the programme.

    Finally
    I'm really sorry that we're unable to provide an immediate solution for the residents but I hope my comments help to explain our current position and it assures you of our ambition to deliver fibre broadband for as many communities as quickly as we can.


    Kind regards,


    Matthew Evans
    High level complaints
    Openreach

    ReplyDelete
  3. This seems to indicate there is no quick fix and we are unlikely to get a solution when the new Cab 17 goes live in a few weeks. However, if I'm reading this correctly, those connected to Cab 3 might be treated to the luxury of fibre to the premises in the future? I won't hold my breath, as it all depends on funding.

    ReplyDelete

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