As reported at Fibrestream, the third of the JFDI series of books by Cumbria's own Lindsey Annison about making community-led broadband happen is now available for purchase.
As an added bonus there are a sample of audio and video interviews available online now to help give local communities and broadband champions so insight into what the NextGenUs 4th Utility approach to Digital Services offers.
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Broadband Meets Localism
A busy week focused on matters Cumbria, with the NextGenUs engineering team completing the GAB FiWi superfast broadband upgrade in Great Asby together with field survey by NextGenUs and partners AFL, a Fujikura business, progressing detailed design and costing for FttH network building in the Lyvennet Valley.
To finish the week another excellent event on broadband delivery, Broadband meets Localism Conference, held at Carlisle Racecourse,
Perhaps to the surprise of regular readers of this blog, the most hopeful progress witnessed at today's event was an intriguing shift in BT thinking.
Bill Murphy, BT's head of NGA, who I'm sure would agree is a very commercially competitive person by nature, indicated a genuine willingness for BT to work with the grassroots localism approach that NextGenUs UK CIC has pioneered nationally e.g. at Ashby in Lincolnshire and equally the local Cumbrian efforts of Great Asby Broadband CIC and Alston Cybermoor Ltd.
Let us all be clear - realising the gevernment's vision for Britain to have the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015 means realising that this will only happen when everyone works together.
This is the FiWiPie approach to delivering the 4th utility - a role for everyone, commercial, community interest and pubic sector to work together constructively for the benefit of all - because let's face it, regardless of our day jobs we will all benefit as people from the UK having top notch and future-proof Digital Services.
Now, to be sure, there remain key differences between NextGenUs and BT about who the future-proof networks are owned by and most importantly in whose interests, best expressed through differing terminology:
BT, in common with any other conventional for-profit telecommunications company, refers to the access network that reaches into our homes and businesses as the "Last MIle"
NextGenUs on the other hand, as a social enterprise community interest company (CIC), calls this the "First Mile" on the basis that it is community that pays for service therefore the community interest must come first.
If, and NextGenUs now believes we can do this, the monopoly parts of this new 4th utility are properly protected from the real risk of future commercial abuse through asset lock and community interest test surplus reinvestment into the local community, then the best outcome for Cumbria can be assured.
Marie Fallon, Corporate Director of Environment at Cumbria County Council, deeply impressed the audience with her obvious determination to see the best outcome for Cumbria from the BDUK market testing programme.
It is most welcome that CCC clearly grasps that a "one size fits all" approach will not be adequate to future-proof Cumbria's Digital Services, rather there is a clear recognition that by listening to the grassroots then each local community has the best chance to get the solution that best fits its particular needs.
Another excellent presentation by CyberDoyle that goes to show that making future-proof FttH happen is well within the reach of any local community - a real inspiration to the audience!
Rory Stewart MP continues to impress and win new allies by both his openness and determination to create the space for local communities to step up and prove that the Big Society ethos can deliver real community benefits beyond the soundbites.
To finish the week another excellent event on broadband delivery, Broadband meets Localism Conference, held at Carlisle Racecourse,
Perhaps to the surprise of regular readers of this blog, the most hopeful progress witnessed at today's event was an intriguing shift in BT thinking.
Bill Murphy, BT's head of NGA, who I'm sure would agree is a very commercially competitive person by nature, indicated a genuine willingness for BT to work with the grassroots localism approach that NextGenUs UK CIC has pioneered nationally e.g. at Ashby in Lincolnshire and equally the local Cumbrian efforts of Great Asby Broadband CIC and Alston Cybermoor Ltd.
Let us all be clear - realising the gevernment's vision for Britain to have the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015 means realising that this will only happen when everyone works together.
This is the FiWiPie approach to delivering the 4th utility - a role for everyone, commercial, community interest and pubic sector to work together constructively for the benefit of all - because let's face it, regardless of our day jobs we will all benefit as people from the UK having top notch and future-proof Digital Services.
Now, to be sure, there remain key differences between NextGenUs and BT about who the future-proof networks are owned by and most importantly in whose interests, best expressed through differing terminology:
BT, in common with any other conventional for-profit telecommunications company, refers to the access network that reaches into our homes and businesses as the "Last MIle"
NextGenUs on the other hand, as a social enterprise community interest company (CIC), calls this the "First Mile" on the basis that it is community that pays for service therefore the community interest must come first.
If, and NextGenUs now believes we can do this, the monopoly parts of this new 4th utility are properly protected from the real risk of future commercial abuse through asset lock and community interest test surplus reinvestment into the local community, then the best outcome for Cumbria can be assured.
Marie Fallon, Corporate Director of Environment at Cumbria County Council, deeply impressed the audience with her obvious determination to see the best outcome for Cumbria from the BDUK market testing programme.
It is most welcome that CCC clearly grasps that a "one size fits all" approach will not be adequate to future-proof Cumbria's Digital Services, rather there is a clear recognition that by listening to the grassroots then each local community has the best chance to get the solution that best fits its particular needs.
Another excellent presentation by CyberDoyle that goes to show that making future-proof FttH happen is well within the reach of any local community - a real inspiration to the audience!
Rory Stewart MP continues to impress and win new allies by both his openness and determination to create the space for local communities to step up and prove that the Big Society ethos can deliver real community benefits beyond the soundbites.
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