Southwark Council Set Plan to Rollout Wireless Broadband in Rotherhithe

The Southwark Council for south east London UK has set out a new plan and strategy for improving broadband connectivity in the residential district of Rotherhithe, which has a long history of suffering from slow speeds and generally poor internet service.

At present around 96-97% of premises in London should be covered by a “superfast broadband” (24Mbps+) capable network, with Openreach’s (BT) FTTC technology and Virgin Media’s 350Mbps DOCSIS based cable network being the most common forms of connectivity. Not to mention that both operators, as well as some other ISPs (e.g. Hyperoptic), have also deployed FTTP/H into a few parts.

However, in Southwark the figure for superfast connectivity drops to around 92% and Rotherhithe is known to be one of the weaker areas for such services. In recent years some fresh investment from BT and other operators has delivered improvements, but there’s still plenty of work left to do.

The good news is that Southwark Council has begun to develop a new strategy for improving local connectivity, which echoes some of what Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London) recently proposed (here and here) and will have a particular focus upon both the Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks wards

Southwark Council’s Plan for Rotherhithe

This report sets out our strategy and plans for the immediate, medium and longer term to deliver the digital infrastructure we need to ensure residents, businesses and visitors have access to the digital tools they need.

For instance, in the next few months we will sign lease agreements and see the installation of wireless broadband infrastructure on a number of council owned buildings which will supply up to 40Mb broadband speeds across 70% of the borough. This roll out will start in Rotherhithe.

We will also agree a new wayleave strategy for the installation of fibre broadband into council estates and blocks on a first come, first serve, non-exclusive basis for interested providers.

We will continue to work with the GLA and government, seeking to secure funding to fill any remaining not spots and to ensure that full fibre broadband is available in all parts of the borough. We have already submitted an expression of interest to access part of the £200m DCMS funding for broadband projects and are awaiting further information on the next steps of this programme.

Crucially, we are establishing a digital infrastructure team and a cross-council board to implement our digital infrastructure strategy and to stay abreast of technological improvements and innovations and funding opportunities.

Digital infrastructure has become an essential utility and this report and strategy sets out how the whole council will work together to ensure that Southwark can fully participate in the digital revolution.

Most of the above strategy is fairly predictable and other local authorities are making similar moves, although the commitment towards an ‘up to’ 40Mbps capable fixed wireless broadband network is new to us. Apparently this will involve some leasing of unused rooftop space to wireless broadband providers and mobile network operators, which follows a market consultation and procurement exercise.

The details are a little thin, although we understand that the council has already agreed ‘Heads of Terms’ with UK Broadband Ltd. (Relish Wireless), which is now owned by Three UK, and Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd (CTIL), the company responsible for managing O2 and Vodafone’s network. Related lease agreements should be completed before the end of 2017.

In all, 26 new UK Broadband Ltd. installations, including four in the Rotherhithe area, and 13 new CTIL sites are planned, bringing the total number of UK Broadband and CTIL installations on council owned assets to 28 and 25 respectively. With the exception of three installations, all new wireless telecommunications aerials will be hosted on the rooftops of residential housing blocks.

Apparently half of the new UK Broadband sites will have been commissioned by the end of 2017 (includes the four in the Rotherhithe area), with the remaining installations completed by the end of February 2018. All new CTIL sites will have been commissioned by the Spring of 2018. It is estimated that 70% of the borough will be able to receive the Relish Wireless broadband service once all new installations have been completed.

The council states that the income generated from these new lease agreements, plus the uplift in rents received for existing UK Broadband and CTIL sites, should represent a “significant revenue source for the council over the next 15 years.” The first year of income is expected to be about £200,000 and this will help to fund the delivery of the council’s new Digital Infrastructure Strategy, among other more general things.

The SE16 Broadband Group, which has long advocated for broadband improvements in the Rotherhithe area, is said to have been “instrumental” and has “provided helpful feedback on the council’s broadband proposals.”

One potential problem area is the fact that Relish Wireless often struggles to deliver its top advertised speeds. We hope that the local authority will put some framework in place to ensure that they can at least deliver a stable superfast broadband speed to local residents, although wireless performance can be a tricky thing to guarantee.