Broadband Update – what’s happened since February 2011?

Graham Powell

2nd December 2011

Since 11th February…• My life has changed quite a bit…for the better?• We have…

– Revised the ambitions– Created a dedicated Borders Broadband Project Team– Commenced the tender process– Held a series of Village Hall/Parish Council meetings– Engaged with Herefordshire Business Board– Recruited around 150 Broadband Champions across two counties– Survey, Residential & Business

The Project• Gap Funding private sector to develop Next Generation

Access (NGA) Broadband infrastructure & lease it to ISPs on a wholesale basis

• Allowing a range of retail ISPs to deliver Broadband to those who want it

• We asked for…– Opportunity to access Universal Service Commitment

(2Mbps) in all eligible areas of rural Herefordshire & Gloucestershire

– Opportunity to access NGA to all eligible areas of rural Herefordshire & Gloucestershire

Additional Legal & Commercial Support

• REDC • Interim Commercial Manager

• Ashfords • Bespoke Legal Support

• BDUK (Funding Partners)• Ad hoc Legal, Technical & Commercial advice

•Analysis Mason• Value for money

Area Size Km2 Population Residential Premises Registered Business Population Business Premises

Phase 1 1,298 124,900 57,592 6,125 4,038

Phase 2 3,484 354,000 158,926 18,662 13,205

Total 4,782 478,900 216,518 24,787 17,243

The Dialogue

• “A Spectrum of Solutions”• What will it cover….

– Reach; Finance; Capability; Deployment; Quality of Service (QOS)

– Future Proofing; All Technical Details• Business Support – Demand Stimulation

The Rural Challenge

• Limited range of Market Players• Capacity of the sector to deal with multiple projects• Most counties have BDUK money – being a pilot is a

definite plus• Business Case

• Low population density • Low anticipated demand for NGA services – 20%

• Arbitrary coverage ambitions rather than demand based roll out – BDUK + Council fill the gap

What are we looking to achieve?

• To start in The Phase 1 area

• To make Broadband speeds in excess of 2Mb/s available to everyone before 2015

• To work with communities to avoid creating a digital divide

• To focus NGA roll out on business sites – we have to protect current jobs and create new jobs

• Stimulate demand for NGA

• To deliver NGA to everyone who wants it by 2018

A Mobile Opportunity?• Vodafone are looking for a dozen sites nationally to conduct a

WiFi/3G experiment• Looking for a community of around 1000 people, no mobile

coverage, a minimum of 1Mb/s Broadband• Build a mobile network using open-femtocells – Vodafone Sure

Signal• Working with Jesse’s office and the Broadband Team to make an

application

Defra Fund• Recognises the need for NGA Broadband in rural areas• £20M available from Rural Development Program for England

(RDPE) & BDUK• Focus on communities in most rural 10% looking for NGA

wholesale• 50% match funding from private sector or community• Expression of interest by end of January 2012• Full application April/May – Approval June/July• Herefordshire in a good position – will have data/evidence; will

be able to work with a selected contractor• Details on Defra website