© Copyright October 2012, Lothian Broadband Limited
This project is part-financed by Garvald
and Morham Community Council
The Lothian Broadband
Challenge
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
Overview
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•
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•
•
Historical background
Need/demand identified
Challenges
Responding to the challenges
The benefits that result
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
The Dark Days of Dial-up
2004
The Garvald
Telephone
Exchange
4
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
Meeting the Challenge...
Meet the team...
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The Original Network - 2005
Area covered
by the Garvald
and Morham
Community
Council
Broadband
Wireless
Network
= 40 square
Kms
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
...Meeting the Challenge
Powering a
solution...
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Meeting the Challenge...
...Work in
progress...
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Community Website
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Garvald and Beyond
... Successful
service since
2005...
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All Good Things...
... BUT,
As with the
horse and
cart...
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The New Demand
The existing
area...
= 40 square
Kms
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The New Challenge...
Clearly set out in
the RSE’s Digital
Scotland Report...
“A Digital Scotland strategy
should plan to make a minimum
speed of 16Mb/s accessible to
all by 2015, rising to 128Mb/s in
2020. It should set a target for
median speeds above 64Mb/s
by 2015 and 512Mb/s by 2020.”
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
The New Challenge...
• Factors that should underpin policy:
– the need to arrest and ultimately eliminate the digital divide, creating
the opportunity to unleash its social benefits for all UK citizens;
– the need to take a long-term, but also flexible view of the
infrastructure's future, avoiding prejudicing any particular technology,
or falling into the trap of specific speed targets (different people have
widely differing requirements);
– the need to reinforce the robustness and resilience of the network as
a whole.
House of Lords Communications Committee Report
Broadband for All - An Alternative Vision
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
... The New Challenge
“Just come across your site. Glad to hear
someone is doing this. I’m currently in a protracted
argument with BT about my broadband speed –
consistently achieves 0.125 Mbps which, as you’ll
realise, is only slightly faster than a carrier pigeon.
If you have a mailing list to keep people up to date
could you include me please?”
“My wife and I recently moved from Glasgow to the
outskirts of Haddington. I work at home and rely
on my internet connection. The land line service is
poor at best, and the cellular networks are no
better here. My friend who lives in the area told me
yesterday about the service you offer. It sounds
like a life saver at the moment.”
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
1. Solve the problems of
not-spots and grotspots by getting
broadband to them.
2. Do that in a way that
isn’t a short term
solution, but a route to
true, robust NGA.
So, the big challenge is
how to procure something
that delivers both
requirements within the
funding available. Is this
even possible?
The New Demand
Scoping a viable extension...
... a 5 year plan
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
The Figures
• Demographics
– Population:
– Households:
– Businesses:
– Total area:
98,000
39,647
2,000+ (including farms)
680 square kilometres
• Our targets in the rural areas (5 years)
– Households: 15% = 6,000
– Businesses: 30% = 600
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
Defining the Challenge
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•
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Is it technically feasible?
Do we have the expertise?
Is fibre backhaul available?
Is it being done successfully elsewhere?
What are the most appropriate technologies?
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
Issues for Consideration
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•
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Demand
Cost
Funding
Financial and technical management
Timescales and critical dependencies
Planning permissions
Promotion
Political issues, e.g. tax on lit fibre
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
Upgrade Existing Network
From
2.4GHz
To
5.8GHz
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Construction of Masts
Deployed in
strategic locations
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Fibre Optic Backhaul
Our current trial
connection to a fibre optic
backhaul in Edinburgh is
via wireless.
This will be converted to
microwave once our mast
replaces our moon-buggy
trailer.
Local hubs will be located
on farm steadings and
other prominent buildings.
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
Install New Subscribers
A typical
location on
our
network...
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Install New Subscribers
... And
another
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Benefits
"Broadband
offers Building
increases in
Communityaccess
Capacity
is:economic efficiency,
reductions in transaction costs and novel opportunities for
commercial innovation. An internationally competitive
“Development
work that strengthens the ability of
Economic
broadband growth
system provides opportunities and maintains
community
organisations
groups
competitiveness
for indigenousand
business
and to
is abuild
vital their
Social
cohesion
structures,
systems,
people and
skills the
so that
prerequisite
for
inward investment.
In 2007,
digitalthey
economy
generated
10%
of UK
GVA, and
accounted
are better
able toabout
define
and
achieve
their
for
6% of total
UK engage
employment.
By 2012 it is predicted
that
objectives
and
in consultation
and
10% of consumer spend will be made online. PwC have
Protection
of environment
planning,
manage
community projects and take
estimated that bringing 4m socially deprived and
part
in partnerships
andwould
community
enterprises.”
unconnected
people online
contribute
£22bn to the
General
economy via increased education and employment.“
• Community capacity
•
•
• Cultural vitality
•
•
(Skinner, S: ‘Building Community Strengths’, CDF
("Digital
1997) Scotland". RSE 2010)
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
Conclusion
• Local community groups hold the key
– Local knowledge
– Local volunteers
– Access to landowners and farmers
– Help and maintenance provided locally
• The model is replicable anywhere
• The technologies are proven and accessible
• And most of all... we can do it!
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited
... And most of all, we can do it!
Contact:
david@lothianbroadband.coop
ian@lothianbroadband.coop
© Copyright May 2011, Lothian Broadband Limited