Cotswolds Broadband Start FTTP and Wireless Rollout in West Oxfordshire

The Cotswolds Broadband project, which last year won the contract to roll-out a new mixed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) and wireless superfast broadband network to rural premises in West Oxfordshire (England), has this week officially started its 12 month construction phase.

The contract involves an investment of £1.6m (grant) from the Government, with Cotswolds Broadband also working to secure match funding from the private sector. On top of that the West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) has invested £1.6m in the form of a loan, with another £3.2m coming via private investment from ISP Gigaclear.

A mix of technologies is expected to be used in the delivery, including both a pure fibre optic network and, in very remote areas, enhanced wireless connectivity. The aim is that all homes and businesses in the district will be served and the network will also be “open to all commercial communication providers on a wholesale basis.”

Overall the project aims to ensure that an estimated 6,000 properties, where superfast broadband is not yet available, will have the capability to connect to the Internet at 24Mbps or greater speeds and the deployment phase is expected to run for 12 months and complete by May 2017. However the project’s manager, Hugo Pickering, informs ISPreview.co.uk that they hope to accelerate this and potentially complete the job in just 9 months.

Cotswolds Broadband Update (May 2016)

Work is about to start on the installation of 14 concrete plinths in villages across the district on which the ultrafast fibre cabinets will be installed. Dedicated cables will be run from these cabinets to form the backbone of the superfast network. The plinths mark the first stages in a programme of works which contractors will accelerate over the coming months.

While rolling out superfast broadband to the villages is a major project, every effort is being made to minimise disruption to residents. Cotswolds Broadband has been testing technology to install the cable which will avoid the need for major disruption of roads, drives and gardens.

Instead of digging trenches in the traditional way, machinery including directional drills and mole ploughs will ensure the cables are placed underground with little impact on the surface, wherever possible. Demonstrations were staged recently on the Daylesford Estate which proved just how quickly cable can be laid in a bid to ensure speedy delivery of superfast broadband to previously inaccessible locations.

Apparently a detailed build schedule, which will confirm which areas will benefit and when, should be forthcoming in the very near future. We’re also still waiting for some details on the service itself, such as what packages will be offered and how much they will cost, but this may follow later.

The project is in addition to the existing Broadband Delivery UK scheme with BT (Better Broadband for Oxfordshire), which is working to make superfast broadband available to around 95% of homes and businesses in Oxfordshire by the end of 2017.