Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[kitz]

Congratulations B4RN.   

Walter did you not get a glass of champagne 

[waltergmw]

@ Kitz,

Sadly no - rather like Winnie the Poo's honey jar, champers might just evaporate over the distance.

I shall just have to content myself with a glass of good real ale in the Bay Horse Inn at Arkholme.

Kind regards,
Walter

[kitz]

Oh my...  I do believe I may have frequented there in a past life on more than one occasion.   Iirc they used to do a decent scampi and chips.

[waltergmw]

Gentlefolk,

Whilst Mr Vaizey and the "Buroids" contemplate something on State Aid and who might receive it **, here are the latest pictures from B4RN preparing Gressingham, the next village downstream on the Lune from Arkholme.

http://tinyurl.com/p75d6vp

The larger tubes will contain the main fibre bundles whilst the smaller 7 mm tubes take the house service fibres which are fed from the nearest access chamber, usually to the back door.
There's a lot more going on elsewhere including Docker and Newton whilst the weather is much kinder.

Where there's a will, there's a way ! It's good to see the youngsters with supple backs on light duties safely out of the way of the plant.

 **

http://br0kent3l3ph0n3.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/will-vaizey-end-b4rns-wait-for-broadband-money/

There might be something on Radio 4 Today after 07:00 on Friday 5 July too.

Kind regards,
Walter

[burakkucat]

 

[tickmike]

What a project, well done 

1..How do they get the main connection for the fibre ?.
2.. Would there be more than one connection ,say for each area ?.
3.. How many could you feed off the connection. ?

[waltergmw]

Hi Tickmike,

1.   You will find considerable detail clicking the link here:-

http://b4rn.org.uk/business-plan

In summary they provide a symmetric 1 Gbps link for £30.00 per month using a fully engineered dual diverse fibre feed down to Manchester.
As they can easily accommodate VOIP services you are not obliged to retain a separate twisted pair line.
The infrastructure is being installed now to provide services for every single property in their area, although not all decide to do so.
(Some future-proof their house investment having the fibre installed but leave it unconnected.)
The take up in most areas is quite extraordinary sometimes around 80% of properties.

2.   They have dual large fibre interconnecting cables to the main nodes.

3.  Far more than there are properties in the area ! It's interesting that their initial phase one plan was to install over 8 parishes but so keen are the folk to have a properly engineered future proof service that phase one now comprises 23 Parishes. You will see that there are comparatively few server cabinets and each one is properly engineered. E.g. unlike somebody else we could mention, not only do they have the vital UPS systems but also a socket to connect an external generator should the very rural overhead power supplies fail for extended periods.

Send me a PM if you have specific questions.

EDIT This latest progress report has been published today.

http://b4rn.org.uk/well-hello-summer

Kind regards,
Walter

[tickmike]

I hope it does not go like these. 
http://www.fibrestream.co.uk/
http://nextgenus.blogspot.co.uk/

[Black Sheep]

I hope it does not go like these. 
http://www.fibrestream.co.uk/
http://nextgenus.blogspot.co.uk/

Hmm ?? Interesting find, tickmike. It actually mentions B4RN as 'One to watch' in the nextgenus link, by way of it being 'community owned' rather than 'for profits'.

As I've been saying all along, these projects are great when everything is going along tickety-boo. It's when 'issues' start to creep in (and they always do), that the real test begins. I'm genuinely behind B4RN and wish it well, I just like to offer up the alternative view, as Walter likes to question all things BT, I see it as a way of restoring balance. 

 

[kitz]

I guess its a risk with anything of this ilk.   Its why there were some rumbles of discontent amongst BT shareholders about them taking a risk with billions of pounds of investments that was forecast 11yrs to recoup the costs of.

Unfortunately its not just set up, but also ongoing maintenance and running costs, and future expansion of the network.

Whilst not Fibre, there was a local company around here that set up wireless broadband to cover a couple of local not-spots.  At first it all seemed to go fine,  I watched them put up the masts and set up repeaters.  A lot of work went into it... but unfortunately when more than the initial trialists subscribed things started to go to pot.   

It only took a couple of users to abuse the system and things started to grind to a halt... and when I say abuse, I just mean use their connection at full speeds to download during peak times.   This is even known to happen on new BT installs, but luckily BTw do normally have a 'bit in reserve' for when more users join to be able to do something about it.   

[tickmike]

This was a bit of a test for them 
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/01/fibre-eating-mice-delay-first-1gbps-b4rn-broadband-links-in-arkholme.html

I think it will test them when they get a major outage although they have some good networking chaps on there team.
Time will tell.


With fibre do you still get a contention ratio ? the more user's on the slower it will get from there 1Gbps.

[waltergmw]

@ BS,

If you would like to restore the balance, perhaps you would like to read this article:-

http://tinyurl.com/otwk9f7

and then confirm whether the media has published the correct information.
I believe "BT's innovative mole ploughing" is using the contractors that B4RN have assisted.

However perhaps more of a concern, if true, is that BT appear to be installing expensive FTTC services with taxpayers' subsidies rather than providing symmetric FTTH.

@Tickmike,

The B4RN test was useful in that they located the cable damage rapidly and had it repaired with minimal delay, fortunately before any services went live.
They also hope that their dual diverse routed network will prevent most major outages as will their UPS systems with generator plugs to allow for longer power outages.
The dual route won't prevent an end user's fibre damage, but then perhaps they should be more careful !

Kind regards,
Walter

[Black Sheep]

I'm not quite sure where the restorative element is applied, Walter ??

'Mole Ploughing' has been around since Adam was a lad, if they have a more modernised technique, all power to them. We've used contractors on rural routes for the best part of 20+yrs, there's nothing new there at all. If B4RN have also opted to ustilise the same contractors, well ...... that's good.

We can't keep going over the 'Symmetric FTTH' debate. It simply is NOT cost-effective as a business model for the public-owned, shareholding business that is BT. FTTH is massive overkill for the vast majority of users, and FTTC will suffice most EU's. Also. BT are not just using taxpayers subsidies willy-nilly, they work in cohorts with the Government AND the local community to allocate funding.

Why, if B4RN's project is the answer to everything, are they not spreading their wings and reaching out to other communities, before the nasty BT guys turn up ?? 

[c6em]

I've noticed that Gigaclear have added a new item to this list of criterion when evaluating whether a site, area, village might be suitable for their installations.
This is that superfast broadband does not exist in the area nor is going to be installed or is planned to be installated.
So clearly they wish to be the monoply supplier in the area - so no suprise there.

[Black Sheep]

From a business perspective, I can understand why they would make that proviso. It simply has to be cost-effective for the business to survive.

I will repeat my on-going statement, that I think there's a place for B4RN and the like, and wish them well. The difference is I am not 'blinkered' to others working in the industry, and am a realist when it comes down to 'provision of service' versus potential costs.
There's a need for B4RN's local input, but a far greater need for BT's nationwide input. My only concern has ever been about retrospective 'challenges' B4RN could face. 'Challenges' that BT are well-equipped for and have faced regularly.