Page 6 - link magazine

Superfast Broadband plan for the whole of Swindon

A controversial project which will in London, for an extension of its
ensure almost the entire borough sister company’s UK Broadband’s
has access to superfast broadband existing 4G-LTE Fixed Wireless
has been given the go ahead. network in Swindon.
And the plan will not cause The rollout will start this summer
massive disruption by digging up with completion expected by the
the streets to install cables as end of 2016. The council have said
the whole project will be done no money will be paid to UKBN
wirelessly. until they start to deliver.
Swindon Borough Council’s According to the council the
cabinet has approved UKB Networks project delivers the superfast cover-
as the preferred supplier that will age without using all the funding as
increase superfast broadband cov- it only costs £1.9 million with the
erage from 80 per cent to 99.4 per remainder of the money to be spent
cent of households and businesses on trying to ensure the final 0.6 per
in Swindon by 2016. cent get superfast broadband.
But critics of the scheme say that Laying cable in West Swindon in 1984, not how it will be done in 2015 Cllr Garry Perkins, Swindon
the speed of the broadband will still cabinet member for the economy,
not be good enough as laying fibre service provider as normal for the keep adding pressure to BT / Virgin regeneration & skills, said: “This is
cables through Virgin or BT would broadband service. Media and others to secure a long- an important step in our ambition
create a faster service. Critics say the scheme, which term solution.” to make superfast broadband avail-
The plan, which will see 101,000 promises speeds of more than the In July last year Swindon Borough able across the borough. The fact
households and premises receiv- superfast broadband minimum of Council and the Department for that we should be able to achieve
ing superfast broadband and only 24mbps, will not be fast enough; Culture, Media and Sport each so much without using all the
573 in the more rural areas still fibre broadband can provide speeds agreed to invest up to £1.5 million money available is good news for
to be serviced, will see at least 16 in excess of 100mbps. of funding to extend superfast the taxpayer. I can understand why
strategically placed streetmasts Councillor Toby Elliott has been broadband coverage. The supplier people would prefer fibre but this
and monopoles erected throughout campaigning for fibre in Priory Vale was also asked to invest a sig- solution means that 99.4 per cent
the borough to transmit superfast since 2012 and does not believe this nificant amount into building and of households will get superfast
broadband to each household. solution will provide what is needed. operating the network. broadband when before they
Anyone signing up would get a In a statement he said: “The 4G After an open market exercise the couldn’t. It’s a no-brainer. BT have
box installed for free on the front LTE scheme leaves me with serious project team asked the cabinet to said continually that they would not
of their house by UKB Networks concerns. It does not deliver fibre approve a bid from UKB Networks, go lay fibre in Priory Vale so this is
and then would pay their internet broadband for Priory Vale and I will which also runs the Relish scheme the best alternative solution.”

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6 swindonlink.com n April 2015