OpenReach have asked OFCOM to reduce the constraints on its market dominance in full fibre broadband to better facilitate the rollout of high speed connectivity across the country; well they would say that wouldn't they.
Given I have had world class (1gb) fibre optic broadband for over a decade provided by a community provider & originally 'dug in' by local volunteers, OFCOM should be supporting such local ventures not OpenReach's monopolising tendencies...
#broadband #politics #B4RN
h/t FT
In a long piece in the FT on the continuing problems of internet connectivity across the UK, which also highlights alt nets, its good to see our local community broadband provider B4RN featured in the graphics (if not the text).... community broadband remains the best way for real areas to achieve world-class service at a reasonable price
@jerry I have no idea if this is a viable option in your area, but you would get the best network if community there would manage to self organize, build your own fiber infrastructure and run your own ISP. Something like they have done at #B4RN. https://b4rn.org.uk/
The FT is reporting that Altnets are having some trouble competing with #OpenReach & in some cases are cutting back development or merging (consolidation);
however, other than mentioning one Altnet that has 'community' in its name, the analysis misses the utilisation of community effort to bring #broadband to 'uneconomic' areas;
#B4RN (our local community project) has much higher % take-up than the altnets, not least due to its business model.
FT needs to be a little less myopic on broadband!
Our experience with #B4RN (and its ongoing development) is that with a good collective commitment, for many villagers & locations what seems impossible is actually possible.... I believe B4RN offer consultancy help on moving forward.
Again drawing from the #B4RN - there was an initial call for local investors (I am one) & we all worked on the project - digging in the conduits etc.; in exchange for 18months free servcie. Then periodically there is a clll for loan capital form community shareholders, which is always over-subscribed - and of course the whole system runs on user subscriptions (which are competitive if not startlingly cheap). The CIC is governed by a board of directors... with AGM etc.
So as I understand it; as part of the constitution of the CIC, the assets are constrained to only be 'owned' by the existing CIC or another CIC should it take over, but would not be available to a commercial buyer - given in our case there would be no #B4RN without the dug-in conduit network, it precludes privatisation.
yes having an 'Asset Lock' is key.... for #B4RN it allowed them to run conduit across farmers' land (via wayleaves) in exchange for free broadband access & an guarantee the asset (the network) would never be sold - in other words a subsequent purchaser could not get the (valuable) wayleves for nothing....
As many of you already know my #broadband is delivered by a community-based, non-profit provider - #B4RN - which operates across the rural NW.
Once again, I'm going to have to point out that the #community solution to broadband - we have world-class provision & great service - is a lot better than the mainstream providers (as a recent Which report, confirms, again).
Apologies for gloating, but B4RN really demonstrates what locals working together can achieve!
Yes our local project had some difficulties around funding & BT trying (and succeeding) in snuggling grant monies... in the end ours was almost completely funded by the community & 'sweat capital' - i.e. we dug the fibre conduits in ourselves!
#B4RN
Emeritus Prof Christopher May
Aleš Časar