By: MarkJ - 27 January, 2012 (10:18 AM) - Score: 1173 - Fixed Line Broadband
The Lancashire County Council (LCC) appears to be steaming ahead with its own £32 million Local Broadband Plan (LBP) after an allegedly "exhaustive procurement process" officially selected BT to help 97% of the county get superfast broadband ISP speeds of over 30Mbps by 2014; one year ahead of the national UK target.Lancashire's Public Sector Funding Breakdown:Some £500,000 of the money will also be set aside to help the last 3% receive access to download speeds of at least 2Mbps (Universal Service Commitment). Another £3m will be used to help small and medium sized businesses get the best out of superfast broadband.
• £10.8m from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK)
• £16.5m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
• £4.7m from Lancashire County Council (LCC)
The investment, which is expected to be matched by cash from BT (this will be in addition to its £2.5bn strong pot), will be targeted at approximately one third of the county where there are currently no existing or future commercial plans for a superfast service (at least none according to the council).
Geoff Driver, Leader of Lancashire County Council, said:
"We are determined to ensure that Lancashire continues to benefit from being at the forefront of this technology. Establishing this superfast broadband network will not only open up opportunities for businesses in Lancashire, it will revolutionise the way that people in the county, especially in rural or deprived areas, connect to the wider world."
"We are determined to ensure that Lancashire continues to benefit from being at the forefront of this technology. Establishing this superfast broadband network will not only open up opportunities for businesses in Lancashire, it will revolutionise the way that people in the county, especially in rural or deprived areas, connect to the wider world."
Edwin Booth, Chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, added:
"Superfast broadband has a critical role to play in increasing productivity and innovation across all areas of the economy in Lancashire. We want a thriving economy here in Lancashire and this will help us to achieve it.
In terms of providing the necessary infrastructure for business in the 21st century, creating this network could be as important as the construction of the canals and railways was to the Industrial Revolution."
"Superfast broadband has a critical role to play in increasing productivity and innovation across all areas of the economy in Lancashire. We want a thriving economy here in Lancashire and this will help us to achieve it.
In terms of providing the necessary infrastructure for business in the 21st century, creating this network could be as important as the construction of the canals and railways was to the Industrial Revolution."
Critics of BDUK's process often fear that the bulk of investment will end up going towards BT instead of alternative operators, such as Fujitsu's Open Access Wholesale Network (OAWN) project (here). At this stage it's still too early to be sure how things will progress more nationally, although today's news and other recent developments (here) will surely fuel concerns.
At the same time BT has always been a serious player and one most likely to win a sizeable chunk of the fund, especially given BDUK's sometimes questionably strict criteria for entry (small ISPs = no). Thankfully rural Lancashire still looks likely to benefit from alternative projects like those from B4RN (here) and Fibrestream (here).
UPDATE 1:29pm
Small correction. BT informs that its private sector investment will be in addition to their £2.5bn money and not part of it.
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Comments: 28
boggitsPosted: 27 January, 2012 - 10:58 AM
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There was no 'fear' of the BDUK money going to BT it was a near certain absolute knowledge that they would get it. BT is now the only company still in the running for the rest of the BDUK money and if they get less than 80% of the fund I would be very surprised
MarkJPosted: 27 January, 2012 - 11:37 AM
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"BT is now the only company still in the running for the rest of the BDUK money"
Fujitsu tell us otherwise but then few take their prospects seriously. You're most likely correct but we need to see hard evidence and many of the tenders aren't even in place yet.
cyberdoylePosted: 27 January, 2012 - 11:39 AM
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youtu.be/DOkijxkY0Gc the decision was taken months ago. BT have Lancashire stitched up, always have had.
DeductionPosted: 27 January, 2012 - 4:19 PM
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No shock this country is going to be stuck with the out dated practices of BT for many years to come. Best broadband in europe or the world...... Not likely ever!
DarrenPosted: 27 January, 2012 - 8:43 PM
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Why not give BT all the money and let them get on with it? Give them even more if need be.
FTTC to as many as possible as quick as possible.
Vectoring.
In fill.
Then start upgradeing FTTC to FTTP.
Anything wrong with that?
Telecom EngineerPosted: 27 January, 2012 - 8:50 PM
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Personally I think it should have just been handed over with a condition of 100% coverage and minimum speed say 60 average (with USO 10meg). Maybe not fair to other telco's but certainly would be better for the country. That or ask virgin to expand their cable network to 100% using funds and force them to wholesale their network.
DeductionPosted: 28 January, 2012 - 2:24 AM
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Yeah destroy some more business in this country, great idea.
New_LondonerPosted: 28 January, 2012 - 12:12 PM
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@Deduction
Presumably they'd be the businesses that didn't actually take part in the tenders or withdrew before completion?
DeductionPosted: 28 January, 2012 - 12:16 PM
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I thought you said they all had to provide a wholesale product to even be a tender, so god only knows what you are on about now.
New_LondonerPosted: 29 January, 2012 - 8:48 PM
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@Deduction
You're correct, I did say that a wholesale offering was required, its one of the ways to pass the EU state aid rules that apply when public funds are awarded to a private sector company.
In terms of what I was referring to in my last post above, you stated quote "Yeah destroy some more business in this country, great idea.", but failed to identify which businesses these would be. Presumably they'd be businesses that failed to complete the tender process given, as you've stated elsewhere, it is totally biased and only BT will ever win, or words to that effect.
If these companies are unable to compete effectively then their long-term survuval is in doubt irrespective of the outcome of the BDUK tenders?
DeductionPosted: 30 January, 2012 - 12:51 AM
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Which other companies apart from C&W can bid if what you have said previously about them having to have a Wholesale product to get BDUK funds is accurate??? I can think of no others.
By "destroy business in this country" i meant in general the way the government seems to constantly. There is a reason all big business including your precious BT farm jobs out over seas and there is a reason small business that trade with other areas of the globe is practically non-existent in the UK anymore.
Funding just one company with government coin be it BT or anyone is never a good idea, it doesn't encourage competition or business to thrive.
Funding just one telco be it BT or anyone isnt good, and i cant believe you or anyone would agree its a good idea, was bad enough the days you could only have BT as a phone supplier and couldn't even buy your own home handset, but had to rent it from them.
New_LondonerPosted: 30 January, 2012 - 8:01 AM
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@Deduction
But surely good broadband helps companies trade overseas?
DeductionPosted: 30 January, 2012 - 5:21 PM
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In theory maybe, but obviously its more than that otherwise Trading with our world wide chums would had steadily increased over the years not decreased. Any product which has noo competition is bad. Just imagine a world with only one car maker, one supermarket and so much more. Competition encourages competition, encourages a company to makes its products better and for the consumer gives choice and and a pricing battle. If you want a world where there is no choice and prices are through the roof you feel free, ill pass.
DeductionPosted: 30 January, 2012 - 7:22 PM
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National Grid Electricity Transmission plc (formerly National Grid Company) owns and operates the National Grid high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales. Since 1 April 2005 it also operates the electricity transmission network in Scotland (although this is still owned by Scottish Power and Scottish & Southern Energy).
In 1990, the transmission activities of the Central Electricity Generating Board were transferred to the National Grid Company plc, which was owned by the 12 Regional Electricity Companies (RECs)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_Electricity_Companies
Perhaps BT should be split into regions like that?
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