Steering Group Setup

A steering group has been set up to work at taking the idea of a community based broadband network for the Glens closer to reality.

 

After much discussion we took this decision as the majority of the group felt that the likely cost and quality of the minimum broadband which may be offered by the Scottish Government would not be a long term solution. The Glens would end up running at half a percent of the speed available in Dundee. It was felt that, in order not to be further left behind, we needed a more imaginative and future proof solution.

 

Initial approaches have been made to possible funders who have expressed a keen interest and we plan to build on the survey that we have already had done to fully explore and cost out the option of a fibre optic based service.

 

 

BROADBAND GROUP HADDINGTON VISIT

 

Our endeavour to secure decent Broadband provision in the Glens has moved on since the Feasibility Report carried out by Adrian Wooster. The Report has been delivered in Draft form and will be completed very soon.

The Government have contracted a team of Consultants to carry out a ‘verification’ exercise (to check whether the details they hold on `Clusters` are correct or not). I was not surprised to be told that details on my own group (Kingoldrum) had somehow been lost. The cut off date for any person wishing to be included in the procurement process is 18th Jan 2008, so if you have not registered with the Government by then, you will receive no help.

 

A small group of us went to Haddington in order to meet a Community Broadband Group that set up their own network. David Walls and Ian Smith kindly made themselves available and gave us an idea of what can be done.
 
They commissioned a Feasibility Study in 2004 and had 40 members signed up to a network covering 10 sq. Km by June 2005. With careful management and a dedicated team of volunteers they now have a very robust network that is generating a surplus that will allow for future expansion / upgrading. A full report in the form of a Case Study (David Walls) has been made available to us.

We got a good idea of the general Topography of the area (generally flatter with less obstacles than our situation) and the area coverage (much more compact than our overall situation but similar if we divide ourselves into manageable sub–groups). The external hardware appears to be less obtrusive than some had imagined and will have little or no impact on the surrounds.

 

The main factor concerning whether a Community Network is successful or not would appear to be the continuing involvement of the Community. This cannot be stressed enough! A network will only be as good as the sustained effort of those involved in managing the daily issues that will inevitably arise. Both David and Ian have put in many hours getting the Network up and running and continue to do so to keep it breathing.

 

The Glens Broadband Group now have more information at their disposal than the Haddington Group did prior to building their Network. What we need to do now is decide whether we are willing to commit to a sustained effort in order to proceed to the next level – Building A Network !

 

Mike Sinclair

 

After the last meeting of the group in January, we have been having ongoing correspondence with the relevant parts of the Scottish Government to try and get more details on what they are able or prepared to offer.

Parallel to this we are looking further into the possibility of a community based alternative and what funding may be available.

Although the government has ruled out community options in favour of industry procurement and maintains that the funding they have is only available to those with no broadband who have registered in the correct fashion by the correct date our last meeting decided to push them to find out if there is any flexibility on either of these fronts and to find out what would be on offer to people in the Glens through the procurement exercise.

We are meeting in Memus Hall at 7pm on Thursday the 7th February in order to discuss the responses we have been getting and to see how best to carry things forward.

Mark Johnston (Chair of the Angus Glens Website management committee)

 

Good background information can be found on the community Broadband Network: www.broadband.coop

 

People who are interested in becoming involved can get in touch:

c/o Maggie Sherrit
CL&DFairlie House
Kirriemuir
01575 574989

sherritm@angus.gov.uk
 

POSSIBILITIES

We have awaited Adrian’s report with interest. From our discussions with him it really looks like a community based solution is not only possible, but is probably the only way to get a decent service to our remote areas.

As well as being able to download files from the internet faster we could have the possibility of cheap (free locally) telephone services, tv (pay, freeview and local), medical monitoring/care, business support and development, mobile phone service and much more.

The limits are not so much on the technology but on our individual and collective imaginations and effort (not forgetting initial funding).

Please get in touch through the website if you have any comments, want to know more or are interested in getting involved.

Mark Johnston

Broadband in the Glens

Much of the Angus Glens has no broadband access and little prospect of it coming any time soon. We are stuck with very slow dial-up which can be badly effected by wet weather when the dampness gets into the repairs in the copper wire leading to our homes. The Scottish Executive have promised money to help isolated clusters of houses get broadband however this is only available for places with no broadband connection. Those with very poor and intermittent broadband will not be able to make use of this funding but may be able to benefit from buying into local solutions once they are up and running.

Several people from the Glens have been to events held to publicise the proposed funding and to help the Executive to collect data on areas with no broadband. We were told that communities need to gather information on clusters with no broadband and forward that to the executive who are looking at how to best spend the money and many people have worked hard to do this. In the Glens we have several clusters. Some areas are well down the path towards going ahead with innovative solutions whilst others are barely started.

It looks like the only scheme that will be government funded will be BT or another provider giving a slow, basic service at a higher cost than the current market rate and no improvements to people with a poor service.

There is an interest in a community solution which will involve getting a good broadband signal to one house (via BT wires or satellite) and then small transmitters/receivers on people's buildings to carry the signal from house to house. This requires line of site between buildings and cooperation between householders. It would be several times faster than broadband from small rural exchanges and could work out quite cost effective. The funding would pay for the cost of equipment and setting up, running costs would be met locally. Community involvement could both lower the costs and make alterations easier - including providing a better service to thos with a poor connection.

It was felt that rather than waiting to see what the government will be offering we should go ahead and research the costs and alternatives so that we can keep our funding options open and be ready to move the project on as soon as possible.

Maggie Sherrit (Community Learning & Development)