{"id":28102,"date":"2021-08-12T00:01:04","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T23:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=28102"},"modified":"2021-08-12T16:55:14","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:55:14","slug":"shock-closure-of-gigabit-voucher-scheme-threatens-b4rns-fibre-build","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2021\/08\/shock-closure-of-gigabit-voucher-scheme-threatens-b4rns-fibre-build.html","title":{"rendered":"Closure of Gigabit Voucher Scheme Threatens B4RN’s Fibre Build UPDATE"},"content":{"rendered":"

The B4RN<\/a> (Broadband for the Rural North) project, which is building a 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP<\/a>) network across rural premises in several UK counties, has warned that the Government’s new \u00a35bn Project Gigabit<\/strong><\/a> programme is threatening to seriously disrupt their builds in Cumbria and Northumberland.<\/p>\n

The provider, which has so far covered 17,000 rural premises and expects to reach tens of thousands more over the next few years (progress<\/a>), is a registered Community Benefit Society<\/strong> (i.e. it can’t be purchased by a commercial provider and profits are distributed back into the community) that first began building in Lancashire during 2012. Since then, they’ve expanded into parts of Cheshire, Cumbria, Northumberland, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Yorkshire.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> Customers of the service pay \u00a330 per month for a symmetric 1Gbps connection (plus \u00a3150 installation) and if you want 10Gbps then that will set you back \u00a3150 per month (plus \u00a3360 installation).<\/div>\n

Originally, the majority of their network was funded by communities investing in the company through shares, and many of those did so while also helping to physically build the new fibre infrastructure (volunteers on soft digs through fields etc.). But more recently they\u2019ve also been harnessing millions of pounds worth of gigabit vouchers and community investor loans, which has enabled them to build faster.<\/p>\n

However, B4RN<\/a> are now warning that a significant number of their projects in Cumbria<\/strong> and Northumberland<\/strong> (i.e. those that are both in-build or planned for the near future) have been put at risk as a result of the Project Gigabit (Building Delivery UK) team’s plan to “close<\/em>” the \u00a3210m<\/strong> gigabit voucher scheme in those two regions on 24th September 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Previously, the operator had been assured that communities where B4RN<\/a> plans to build in the next 5-years would be marked as “Conditional White<\/em>” and will thus be available for B4RN and other ISPs to build through voucher funded projects, until the Regional Suppliers have completed build in uncontested areas – ensuring pace of build is optimised across the region.<\/p>\n

The problem is that a large proportion of B4RNs planned 5-year build programme was later found to have been “included in the initial procurement<\/em>” for regional suppliers under Project Gigabit, including “many areas where B4RN is already actively engaged with communities and where planning for a voucher funded build is well underway<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

As a result, B4RN has been forced to scramble and is calling on many planned volunteer-led communities to “get as much sign up as possible by 10th September<\/em>,” which should allow enough time to submit the vouchers before the deadline.<\/p>\n

Tom Hurst, B4RN’s Head of Community Engagement and Development, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“DCMS will be closing the voucher scheme for new voucher registrations across Cumbria and Northumberland on the 24th September 2021. All newly issued vouchers will have a 12 month lifespan and the property must be connected within this timeframe.<\/p>\n

The voucher scheme will then remain closed to new applications while DCMS arrange contracts with a regional supplier to deliver [gigabit-capable] broadband across the two counties. Those areas which are not included in the regional supply contract may be made available again to the voucher scheme after the procurement period, however this is expected to take 12 \u2013 18 months.<\/p>\n

So in order to prevent indefinite delay to your B4RN project, you must act now to maximise sign up in your area. There is no guarantee that your area will be included in the governments regional plans, and experience shows that rural areas normally miss out, so if your community wants B4RN, then they need to sign up now!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Needless to say, the situation is far from ideal and has placed a significant burden on B4RN (at relatively short notice), as well as any other alternative network (altnet) builders that might be in the same boat, to secure vouchers for their future plans or risk many projects becoming stuck in limbo, or perhaps even being abandoned, until after the procurement completes (this could take a year or more).<\/p>\n

“If the intervention area is upheld as shown, it will drastically and unnecessarily cut short B4RN\u2019s build programme in the region whilst guaranteeing larger commercial suppliers a well-funded pipeline of work for at least the next five years<\/em>,” said B4RN. The operator has already launched a campaign (Battle for B4RN<\/strong><\/a>) to reverse the change, which has received backing from a number of local MPs.<\/p>\n