[Advisors] Fwd: [OIA] Fast fibre: A community shows the way

Gareth Shearman shearman at victoria.tc.ca
Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:29:20 -0800 

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Begin forwarded message:

> From: Joly MacFie <joly@punkcast.com>
> Date: February 15, 2013 8:37:46 AM PST
> To: Bruce Kushnick <oia@lists.bway.net>
> Subject: [OIA] Fast fibre: A community shows the way
> Reply-To: joly@punkcast.com
>=20
> [Via NANOG]
>=20
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21442348
>=20
> Fast fibre: A community shows the way
>=20
> COMMENTS (198)
>=20
> Lancashire leads way on fast fibre connection
>=20
> How fast is your home broadband? Seventy to 80 Mbps if you're one of =
the few
> with the very fastest fibre broadband services? Perhaps 10Mbps if =
you've got
> an average connection, maybe under 2Mbps if you live some miles from =
your
> nearest exchange. So how would you fancy a 500Mbps download scheme?
>=20
> That is what I've seen on Harry Ball's quite ancient computer - not in =
the
> heart of London but in a village in rural Lancashire. Arkholme is =
hardly a
> teeming metropolis but Harry is one of the first local residents to be =
hooked
> up to the B4RN community broadband network.
>=20
> After deciding that they were never likely to get a fast broadband =
connection
> from one of the major suppliers, a group of local people across this =
sparsely
> populated area decided that sitting around moaning about it was not an
> option. Instead they began a DIY effort, digging channels across the =
fields
> and laying fibre optic cables.
>=20
>=20
> They have exploited all sorts of local expertise - from the Lancaster
> University professor who is an expert in computer networks to the =
farmer's
> wife who has just retired from a career in IT support. The cooperation =
of
> local landowners has been vital - free access to fields has made it =
much
> cheaper to roll out the network. BT and other companies which have to =
dig up
> the country roads to lay fibre networks reckon it can cost as much as =
=A310,000
> to hook up one rural home - the people at B4RN reckon they can bring =
that
> down to around =A31,000.
>=20
>=20
> And people like Harry and Susan Ball are now entering the superfast =
broadband
> era. The retired couple told me they knew little about computers and =
had got
> used to the fact that it was almost impossible on their slow =
connection to
> watch video or use Skype. Now Harry is able to watch the iPlayer =
streaming in
> HD, and Susan has become a B4RN volunteer, helping to dig trenches for =
the
> fibre.
>=20
> But, after raising half a million pounds from locals who bought shares =
on the
> promise of a fast connection, the project now needs to move to the =
next
> stage. In the Arkholme village hall this afternoon, B4RN is holding an =
open
> day, inviting anyone to drop in and test the broadband connection on =
their
> phones or computers.
>=20
>=20
> The hope is that many will sign up to the =A330 per month service, but =
that
> some will also buy shares in B4RN. Another =A31.5m is needed if the =
full 265KM
> network is to be rolled out. That sounds ambitious - but having spent =
24
> hours watching the volunteers digging trenches, blowing fibre and =
learning a
> process called fusion splicing I can see they are a very determined =
bunch.
>=20
> As Barry Forde, the networking expert who is the chief executive of =
B4RN
> explained to me, fast broadband is not a luxury now, whether in the =
town or
> the country. "Farmers are being told they have to fill in forms =
online," he
> says. "If you haven't got broadband you are severely disadvantaged."
>=20
> And despite the =A3530m government money to bring fast broadband to =
rural
> Britain, many communities face a long wait to get connected. In the =
meantime,
> others may learn the lesson from B4RN - if you want it in a hurry, =
just get
> out and start digging.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> --
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Joly MacFie  218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast
> WWWhatsup NYC - http://wwwhatsup.com
> http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com
> VP (Admin) - ISOC-NY - http://isoc-ny.org
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> _______________________________________________
> Open Infrastructure Alliance
> http://lists.bway.net/listinfo/oia
>=20


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<html><head></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; =
"><br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px;"><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>From: </b></span><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">Joly MacFie &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:joly@punkcast.com">joly@punkcast.com</a>&gt;<br></span></di=
v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px;"><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>Date: </b></span><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">February 15, 2013 =
8:37:46 AM PST<br></span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, =
1);"><b>To: </b></span><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium;">Bruce Kushnick &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:oia@lists.bway.net">oia@lists.bway.net</a>&gt;<br></span></=
div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: =
0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><b>[OIA] Fast =
fibre: A community shows the way</b><br></span></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px;"><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; =
font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>Reply-To: </b></span><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><a =
href=3D"mailto:joly@punkcast.com">joly@punkcast.com</a><br></span></div><b=
r><div>[Via NANOG]<br><br><a =
href=3D"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21442348">http://www.bbc.co.u=
k/news/technology-21442348</a><br><br>Fast fibre: A community shows the =
way<br><br>COMMENTS (198)<br><br>Lancashire leads way on fast fibre =
connection<br><br>How fast is your home broadband? Seventy to 80 Mbps if =
you're one of the few<br>with the very fastest fibre broadband services? =
Perhaps 10Mbps if you've got<br>an average connection, maybe under 2Mbps =
if you live some miles from your<br>nearest exchange. So how would you =
fancy a 500Mbps download scheme?<br><br>That is what I've seen on Harry =
Ball's quite ancient computer - not in the<br>heart of London but in a =
village in rural Lancashire. Arkholme is hardly a<br>teeming metropolis =
but Harry is one of the first local residents to be hooked<br>up to the =
B4RN community broadband network.<br><br>After deciding that they were =
never likely to get a fast broadband connection<br>from one of the major =
suppliers, a group of local people across this sparsely<br>populated =
area decided that sitting around moaning about it was not an<br>option. =
Instead they began a DIY effort, digging channels across the =
fields<br>and laying fibre optic cables.<br><br><br>They have exploited =
all sorts of local expertise - from the Lancaster<br>University =
professor who is an expert in computer networks to the farmer's<br>wife =
who has just retired from a career in IT support. The cooperation =
of<br>local landowners has been vital - free access to fields has made =
it much<br>cheaper to roll out the network. BT and other companies which =
have to dig up<br>the country roads to lay fibre networks reckon it can =
cost as much as =A310,000<br>to hook up one rural home - the people at =
B4RN reckon they can bring that<br>down to around =A31,000.<br><br><br>And=
 people like Harry and Susan Ball are now entering the superfast =
broadband<br>era. The retired couple told me they knew little about =
computers and had got<br>used to the fact that it was almost impossible =
on their slow connection to<br>watch video or use Skype. Now Harry is =
able to watch the iPlayer streaming in<br>HD, and Susan has become a =
B4RN volunteer, helping to dig trenches for the<br>fibre.<br><br>But, =
after raising half a million pounds from locals who bought shares on =
the<br>promise of a fast connection, the project now needs to move to =
the next<br>stage. In the Arkholme village hall this afternoon, B4RN is =
holding an open<br>day, inviting anyone to drop in and test the =
broadband connection on their<br>phones or computers.<br><br><br>The =
hope is that many will sign up to the =A330 per month service, but =
that<br>some will also buy shares in B4RN. Another =A31.5m is needed if =
the full 265KM<br>network is to be rolled out. That sounds ambitious - =
but having spent 24<br>hours watching the volunteers digging trenches, =
blowing fibre and learning a<br>process called fusion splicing I can see =
they are a very determined bunch.<br><br>As Barry Forde, the networking =
expert who is the chief executive of B4RN<br>explained to me, fast =
broadband is not a luxury now, whether in the town or<br>the country. =
"Farmers are being told they have to fill in forms online," he<br>says. =
"If you haven't got broadband you are severely =
disadvantaged."<br><br>And despite the =A3530m government money to bring =
fast broadband to rural<br>Britain, many communities face a long wait to =
get connected. In the meantime,<br>others may learn the lesson from B4RN =
- if you want it in a hurry, just get<br>out and start =
digging.<br><br><br><br>--<br>--------------------------------------------=
-------------------<br>Joly MacFie &nbsp;218 565 9365 =
Skype:punkcast<br>WWWhatsup NYC - http://wwwhatsup.com<br> =
http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com<br> VP (Admin) - ISOC-NY - =
http://isoc-ny.org<br>----------------------------------------------------=
----------<br>-<br>_______________________________________________<br>Open=
 Infrastructure =
Alliance<br>http://lists.bway.net/listinfo/oia<br><br></div></blockquote><=
/div><br></body></html>=

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