Rural Broadband

Back

Home 

Results

EADT
1.10.2009

Editorial
1.10.2009

Wireless Solution

Low Bandwidth in Rural Areas

Many of us have now got Broadband. However, if you are much more than 2 miles from the exchange you will be lucky to get more than 2Mbps. This is most likely due to noise levels increasing as the cables get longer but can also be due to poor quality cables made of aluminium rather than copper or buried cables that are suffering from corrosion.

There are two solutions for us rural people on the end of long wires:

One is to use glass fibre to connect to Primary Connection Points (PCP) which are the intermediate connection points between us and the exchange. They are also called cabinets and look like green metal cupboards by the side of the road - there is one on the Oakhill side of the cross roads at the Water Tower in Hollesley. This would effectively reduce the distance of all of us on the extremities to the exchange by half, but would cost a fortune. Estimates to fibre Britain are in the region of £30bn well beyond this Government's pocket. The proposed £6 tax on telephone users to fund such an operation is futile in the face of the scale of the actual cost. "This unpopular tax will barely make a dent in the likely total cost," said Michael Phillips, product director for comparison site BroadbandChoices.co.uk.  

The other solution is to switch to wireless and abandon 19th century wires. There is currently a push to release spectrum that would solve the shortage of bandwidth in rural areas without installing costly infrastructure. Indeed wireless solutions are being installed all over the world especially in remote areas e.g. in Fiji. There is much rural discontent in this country but a wireless answer seems to have solved the problem on Skye and we look forward to this being deployed throughout the UK.

It is encouraging that Kent County Council is granting £50K to improve speeds for people in the villages Iwade, Selling and Womenswold (funny names in Kent!). It remains to be seen what type of solution is proposed. There appears to be a number of "No Service" households in these villages which makes the case stronger. It is worth noting that small businesses (e.g. FramBroadband) are emerging that are supplying wireless Broadband to people who need it in rural areas and this is sure to expand. Organisations like Community Broadband Network help communities to set up their own fast connection but it costs. You can register not spots or slow spots at Broadband Notspot to alleviate your frustration.

The company Avanti is providing a satellite (HylasOne) solution in 2010 for 320,000 broadband users across Europe. Whether this will satisfy the UK demand remains to be seen. Latency for applications like Voice Over IP may be a problem. On a wider front click on map to see areas in England that cannot receive more than 2Mbps. A recent report states that the UK is 25th in the world in terms of the quality and reach of its Broadband networks so we do have a long way to go.

A survey of bandwidth speeds from the Shottisham exchange has now been completed with readings being mostly taken using the www.speedtester.bt.com tool during July and August 2009. Results show that bandwidth varies by as much as a factor of 50, so

why do we all have to pay the same for a service that varies so much in quality?

Click on the Results button to see them. Click on EADT to see a recent East Anglian Daily Times article.