Re: [LUG] Some good news for devon

On 27 May 2011 13:38, Gordon Henderson <gordon+dcglug@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Fri, 27 May 2011, Andrew Pearce wrote:

Looks like part of Devon will have their broadband connections upgraded
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/27/broadband_rollout_devon_norfolk_wiltshire/

Sounds good, but ...

There's a lot of this about today - e.g.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13565269

However, read the small-print...

Basically £30 million has been allocated to be shared between Devon & Somerset... there will also be money from local councils and private investors (and I understand it's on a 'matched funding' basis)

So.. What can we do with £15 million?

BT has just spent £132 million on upgrading 8 exchanges in Cornwall... So £16.5m per exchange. So £15m isn't going to go far at that sort of level...

But I know I'm being cynical... However infrastructure costs money, digging up roads costs money, running the fibre back to London (or renting stuff already there) costs money... And then you need to pay BT openreach anyway to make the actual connection - unless you're doing it wirelessly or digging up the road to run your own fibre/copper to the premises..

But remember some time ago I posted about a new network for Devon? Maybe Siemens will step-up and use their new network to carry the data... Maybe not ... But I suspect there are a few shiny suited salesdroids knocking on the doors of country hall as I type...

I'd love to be part of it, but ... (anyone want to form a company, get some VC and do it with me???)

Gordon

Gordon - would love to help you with your company if it means that we get faster broadband is East Devon (specifically Moreton) :-) However, I am not holding my breath that we will get it here. There has to be enough potential customers to make the investment worthwhile and between Moreton , Chagford and a few villages, I don't think there will be.