By: MarkJ - 20 January, 2011 (2:24 PM) - Score: 3842 - Fixed Line Broadband
The traumatised Fibrecity project ( i3 Group ), which aims to offer super-fast 100Mbps Fibre-to-the-Home ( FTTH ) broadband services in multiple cities around the UK, is in trouble yet again after Bournemouth Borough Council called a meeting with the firm to discuss serious concerns surrounding their work and the recent damage caused to the town's infrastructure.Fibrecity projects in both Bournemouth and Dundee hit a number of walls last year (here, here and here), which ultimately culminated in the firm entering a longer than expected phase of restructuring. Many of the problems stemmed from dissatisfaction with the quality of their road works, which caused disruption and a great deal of annoyance to affected residents.
The firm originally set out to run its fibre optic cables through underground sewers, although a failure to use this method ultimately forced them down the costly and highly disruptive path of having to dig up roads. Many believe that the i3 Group's attempt to cut costs went too far and ultimately led to some seriously substandard work.
A Fibrecity spokesperson told ISPreview.co.uk last December 2010:
"The delay in continuing to rollout the fibre to the home network in Bournemouth and Dundee has created confusion for which we apologise. Wessex Water's decision to pullout of the agreement to let Fibrecity use its sewer pipes to lay the cables has had an impact on the way that we need to deliver the network.
We are sorry for the disruption, but we just ask that residents bear with us while we connect customers to the network already built. We expect the wider rollout of Fibrecity Bournemouth and Dundee to get back on track in early 2011."
"The delay in continuing to rollout the fibre to the home network in Bournemouth and Dundee has created confusion for which we apologise. Wessex Water's decision to pullout of the agreement to let Fibrecity use its sewer pipes to lay the cables has had an impact on the way that we need to deliver the network.
We are sorry for the disruption, but we just ask that residents bear with us while we connect customers to the network already built. We expect the wider rollout of Fibrecity Bournemouth and Dundee to get back on track in early 2011."
Fibrecity now faces more pressure from Bournemouth council, which plans to meet with the firm tomorrow (January 21st). The council will use that meeting to demand action to repair damage caused to the town’s infrastructure during the work.
Councillor Peter Charon said:
"We have been concerned over the project since the work ceased in October 2010, leaving a number of roads and pavements needing remedial work. As Fibrecity is a statutory undertaker we are unable to prevent the work, however we will be insisting all the works are carried out to a high standard and, where this is not the case, additional work carried out.
Whilst a delay in the works resulting in the restructure of the company is understandable it is unacceptable that residents and businesses are kept in the dark on the progress of the project. Fibrecity also need to inform those residents who have signed up to receive the cables where they stand. The growing uncertainty could potentially undermine the project. We are determined to get this situation resolved as quickly as possible in the best interests of the people of Bournemouth."
"We have been concerned over the project since the work ceased in October 2010, leaving a number of roads and pavements needing remedial work. As Fibrecity is a statutory undertaker we are unable to prevent the work, however we will be insisting all the works are carried out to a high standard and, where this is not the case, additional work carried out.
Whilst a delay in the works resulting in the restructure of the company is understandable it is unacceptable that residents and businesses are kept in the dark on the progress of the project. Fibrecity also need to inform those residents who have signed up to receive the cables where they stand. The growing uncertainty could potentially undermine the project. We are determined to get this situation resolved as quickly as possible in the best interests of the people of Bournemouth."
Bournemouth council notes that Fibrecity does not require the Council’s approval to lay the cables, though they have instituted a system of quality checking. Although the majority of these works are to the required standard, there have been examples where work has had to be re-done – and the council is awaiting further work in a number of cases
Interestingly Fibrecity’s original commitment, given in 2008, was to use the sewer system to lay the cables. As reported before, due to a failure to reach the desired agreement, this has since been replaced by a model based on road and pavement digging. However the Council was not consulted on this change.
The council is also frustrated by their failure to provide a date for the re-commencement for the cabling works, which stopped in October 2010. Whilst the Council acknowledges the delays caused by the re-financing of the company - and the possible management buyout - no date has been provided as to when the works will re-commence.
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Comments: 4
Given up waitingPosted: 20 January, 2011 - 5:29 PM
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The whole handling of this entire project has been a shambles from the start!
1. Why choose to install in a town with an existing cable infastructure with a supplier offering 50MB broadband already? (council backhanded anyone?) and without a confirmed allowance from wessex water to use the sewers!
2. Why not activate the network in stages so at least they would have been able to get subscribers to start paying from the off? Ive had the box outside my house for 12mths but no ONT inside so I can't sign up!
3. Pulling out services before you've even got it up and running is hardly going to install confidence in anyone wanting to sign up to it (set top box VOIP).
With all this no wonder backers/service providers are pulling out (I suspect?) which has lead them into the financial troubles they are in.
VMPosted: 20 January, 2011 - 5:46 PM
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It will failed anyway. They haven't got any fund at all.
ihaveadreamPosted: 16 February, 2011 - 9:22 PM
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it will not fail. It is inevitable that fibre to the home will exist. I give them credit for trying. Why must we think that only BT (Boring Telecom) is the only one that can do anything in this country. Even France is a head of the UK. I hope City Fiber wins, I will support them if I can, I have a dream that we will one day have true fibre to the home instead of the fake fibre to the home that BT and Virgin are lying about.......I have a dream of 100mps......
Given up waitingPosted: 17 February, 2011 - 12:53 PM
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@ ihaveadream
I admire your optimism but fear vm is right, while true ftth is the right way to go for the future it is extremely costly nynex/c&w/ntl all found that out to their peril (although not so much ntl as the infastructure was in place?) and while h20/i3/fibrecity/cityfibre fanny about, the established competition in BT/SKY/VM are increasing their speeds so by the time cityfibre do get going if ever then 100MB bb will be common place.
The only thing I regret is it seemed they would have offered really competitive prices, well velocity1 did, fibrebands was a rip off!
I've always been happy with VM quality of service, getting the bb speeds I pay for but they let me down when they sold off there tv channels to SKY!!!! only a few years ago RB moaned of sky's monopoly and the loss of sky1 on virgin and then he went and sold them his channels!
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