Broadband

[Andrew Brian Hickman]

21. This meeting agreed that BT would work in partnership with the City to address

demand and market effectiveness. Openreach has agreed to support a trial of new

fibre technology at suitable locations, to assess whether this infrastructure can be

implemented across the City. It had identified that Middlesex Street Estate and 1-5

London Wall Buildings are most suited to the trial and preparatory work is underway.

The trial will extend throughout Q4 2014, and we are currently seeking to agree the

criteria and objectives with BT Openreach.

 

2014-10-02_City_Telecommunications_Strategy.pdf

 

Andrew Brian Hickman

[Peter Luckham]

Hi Andrew - Many thanks for posting this.  The link to the PDF doesn't work.  Could you re-attach it?  Also could you clarify which meeting this is from?  All I could find from the City is that this is on the agenda for the next Projects Sub (Policy and Resources) Committee on 8th October ... Agenda - Policy Sub Committee 8 Oct 2014

[Andrew Brian Hickman]

2014-10-02_City_Telecommunications_Strategy.pdf

Policy Resources Committee, which I attended and videoed, part of which may be posted on our YouTube page.

[Andrew Brian Hickman]

2014-10-02 City Telecommunications Strategy

2014-10-02 Cycle Superhighways

[Peter Luckham]

Hi Brian.

Thanks for posting the new link.  Very useful.

This report mentions a trial to be conducted at Middlesex St Estate.  Do you know what this trial will entail?  What are the issues at Middlesex St Estate?  Are BT Openreach upgrading your local street cabinet to enable FTTC broadband?  (At Golden Lane our telephone lines are Exchange Only and therefore do not connect via a street cabinet, and so currently FTTC broadband is not available to us.)

[Andrew Brian Hickman]

We have the same problem of no street cabinet (etc.), so the solution would likely apply to you.

I will be asking Steve Bage (CoL, Broadband Strategic Infrastrucure Advisor) later in the week as to the scope and progress of the trial and will keep GLE informed.

[Peter Luckham]

Great.  Thankyou Andrew.

[Andrew Brian Hickman]

Emailed Steve Bage late last week. He is currently away.

[Andrew Brian Hickman]

"I can confirm that the enabling works are progressing well for the trial which we hope will be up and live by the end of the year.  We have requested further information from BT as to how the trial will involve residents and whether it will remain in situ.  BT are being rather unclear on this point at present. I will keep you updated." Steven Bage.

[Peter Luckham]

Thanks Andrew

[Peter Luckham]

I've not had a mailing from Hyperoptic.  However as mentioned in the Telecomunications Strategy report above, the City Of London infrastructure team are talking to Hyperoptic (along with other suppliers) to see what can be done to make progress with building out infrastructure in the City, so it is possible that this has prompted the Hyperoptic sales team to start contacting City residents directly to see what interest exists.

One issue to be aware of with Hyperoptic is that as they provide the infrastructure then they become the only supplier over that infrastructure and therefore there is no competition on supply and prices and one is locked into them for the long term.  A second issue is that their solution entails running new cables to each individual flat that signs up for their service, which would therefore mean extensive City Of London Housing Management involvement to approve such an approach, especially if not every household wanted to sign up (as you can imagine the complexity that would emerge if over time multiple different suppliers had their own cables to different flats within the Estate).

Note that the internal building cabling issue might be an interesting one to solve in conjunction with the door entry replacement projects.  It is not clear yet whether the door entry replacement project will require re-cabling to each flat, and if it did (although that is an unlikely if at this stage I believe) this might be the opportunity to save costs and lay the neccessary internal cable infrastructure that could be suitable for both door entry as well as fast broadband.

[Andrew Brian Hickman]

Correct. The City of London would actually or effectively be subsidising Hyperoptic, so BT and all others have to be offered the opportunity to supply. CoL having put it out to offer and finding there is interest, is why BT are now acting.