Pembrokeshire-based wireless ( Wi-Fi , WiMAX ) broadband and telecommunications specialist, TFL Group, is calling for more clarity on the Welsh Assembly Government’s (WAG) recently-announced £2m 'Broadband Support Scheme' (details), which is offering grants of up to £1,000 to individual properties that are unable to get a good broadband ISP connection in Wales (UK).TFL claims the assistance scheme presents a serious risk of both financial and technology duplication unless WAG is able to put in place controls designed to guide buyers in Not Spot communities towards broadband solutions that will actually deliver high speed services reliably and sustainably.
TFL Director, Jonathan England, said:
"We would hope that WAG has foreseen the potential issues that could arise from placing the onus on individuals within ‘notspot’ areas to solve their own broadband problems with WAG’s financial support.
Wales still has well over 200 ‘not spot’ areas and while we obviously have no issue with people making their own informed choices, we would also hope that the ‘bigger picture’ across Wales could also be monitored and co-ordinated to ensure that each of Wales’ ‘not spots’ do not end up ‘re-inventing the wheel’ in order to secure a reliable broadband service.
We are fully behind WAG’s initiative to finally deliver broadband services to communities throughout Wales - who frankly should have been broadband-enabled many years ago.
However, while the overall aim of the scheme is entirely positive, we feel there are serious risks of the fund being mis-spent at a local level, unless there is sufficient advice, guidance and control available to individual or business buyers, who have now effectively been tasked with getting the job done themselves."
"We would hope that WAG has foreseen the potential issues that could arise from placing the onus on individuals within ‘notspot’ areas to solve their own broadband problems with WAG’s financial support.
Wales still has well over 200 ‘not spot’ areas and while we obviously have no issue with people making their own informed choices, we would also hope that the ‘bigger picture’ across Wales could also be monitored and co-ordinated to ensure that each of Wales’ ‘not spots’ do not end up ‘re-inventing the wheel’ in order to secure a reliable broadband service.
We are fully behind WAG’s initiative to finally deliver broadband services to communities throughout Wales - who frankly should have been broadband-enabled many years ago.
However, while the overall aim of the scheme is entirely positive, we feel there are serious risks of the fund being mis-spent at a local level, unless there is sufficient advice, guidance and control available to individual or business buyers, who have now effectively been tasked with getting the job done themselves."
TFL fears that multiple types of broadband delivery methods and suppliers could potentially end up working across the same communities, with no regard for what might be the single most efficient or cost-effective solution within a community or the wider area.
Naturally TFL, being a wireless ISP, believes that wireless delivery of broadband services remains the "only realistic alternative for households or businesses that cannot already receive a broadband service" via their local BT exchange.
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