Agenda item

David Wales (Principal EEB Development Officer) will attend to give a verbal update and answer questions. 

The meeting considered a report by David Wales, Principal EEB Development Officer, which provided an update on Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) the contract for which was signed with BT last January. It indicated that, by the end of 2016, in the CDS area, 91% of premises would have a fibre connection for superfast broadband of at least 24Mb per second and 100% of premises would have at least 2Mb per second. By 2020, all premises should be on superfast broadband of at least 24Mb per second. The report referred to fibre optic broadband being the predominant technology with most of the area receiving Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) ie to the green cabinet on the street, and Fibre to the Premises (FTTP). Issues of Surveying, Rural Community Broadband Fund (RCBF) and especially Rollout Communication were addressed.

The Chair stated that he had allowed Councillor Brian Huggett, Chairman of Englishcombe Parish Council, to make a statement which he accordingly did. Copies had been circulated around the table and a copy would be retained on the Minute Book.

John Wilkinson, Divisional Director of Regeneration, responded to some of the comments. He agreed that the best broadband service should be provided. He had met with Wansdyke Telecom, a Community Interest Company, and was willing to work with them to provide the best service.

He introduced Jon Reynolds, Regional Director of BT, who stated that it was a good decision to join Devon and Somerset. EU funding had been provided for Cornwall which was a large rural area and lessons were being learnt. He said that the size of the project could not be under-estimated and that they needed to be sure that the work was deliverable in the projected timeframe. Councillor Huggett referred to the apparent neglect of rural areas in the district and old overhead wires. Peter Duppa-Miller (Combe Hay) made a plea for “symmetric” service to aid upload and download as the current poor service affected many people and businesses in the rural area. Mr Reynolds replied that due diligence was important and it was hoped that the 91% target would be exceeded. He stated that 24Mb would be available for download but upload requirement was not part of the project; symmetrical speed was not required by many customers. However, “Fibre on demand” would be available for extra speed and field trials were currently being undertaken to increase speeds.

A representative of Cameley Parish Council considered that the 91% target would mean 1 in 10 households would not benefit. She queried the criteria for assessing which premises would not be upgraded, the added costs of being upgraded, and whether the proximity to the green cabinet was a criteria for receiving fibre broadband. Mr Reynolds responded that it was hoped more than the 91% target would be achieved. The minimum speed service by 2016 would be 2Mb as per the contract/framework. Some customers in the last 9% whose cabinet is upgraded may struggle but would receive a 5-24Mb service with potential for higher speeds in future. There were some limitations and cost parameters to be considered and there were no automatic upgrades. The lowest price was probably £16/month but the service was open to competition. However, there could be technical improvements later and they would want to know of any demand issues. A representative of Freshford Parish Council enquired whether the Hinton Charterhouse/Freshford area would be included before 2016. Mr Reynolds replied that there would be an announcement on the order of areas in the Autumn of this year but people would need to know their Exchange Area when it goes live. In response to queries raised by the Chair, he stated that the delays experienced with state aid approved by the EU were frustrating but it was a transparent process and BT were the only company investing. It was anticipated that Wiltshire and Gloucestershire could integrate their project to cover any border issues. His e-mail address for those who wished to contact him direct was jon.reynolds@bt.com

John Wilkinson, Divisional Director, emphasised that they were encouraging people and communities to work with them and to lobby Government as their knowledge and experience would be a useful asset.

The Chair thanked them for their attendance and for reporting on this item.