Kitz ADSL Broadband Information
adsl spacer  
Support this site
Home Broadband ISPs Tech Routers Wiki Forum
 
     
   Compare ISP   Rate your ISP
   Glossary   Glossary
 
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Author Topic: B4SH -- A New Provider  (Read 2381 times)

burakkucat

  • Respected
  • Senior Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 38300
  • Over the Rainbow Bridge
    • The ELRepo Project
B4SH -- A New Provider
« on: May 03, 2018, 06:07:56 PM »

A little earlier today I came across a YouTube video --

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uttK3zPMNio[/youtube]


In the beginning was B4RN, Broadband for the Rural North.

Last year B4RNorfolk was launched, Broadband for Rurual Norfolk, which follows the B4RN philosophy & methods and is interconnected to the B4RN network.

Earlier this year B4SH was launched, Broadband for the Surrey Hills. Like B4RNorfolk, B4SH follows the B4RN philosophy & methods and is planned to interconnect with the B4RN network.

A little investigative work shows that one of the founding members of B4SH is our very own Walter who, I am sure, will make the occasional progress report as the project proceeds.
Logged
:cat:  100% Linux and, previously, Unix. Co-founder of the ELRepo Project.

Please consider making a donation to support the running of this site.

burakkucat

  • Respected
  • Senior Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 38300
  • Over the Rainbow Bridge
    • The ELRepo Project
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2018, 01:03:19 AM »

Further digging has turned up this link.

If one left-clicks on the "About Us" tab and then selects "The Team" from the drop-down menu, details of all the officers of the Society are then revealed. Who do I see as number two in that list? None other than our own Walter (of the Wheelbarrow fame).
Logged
:cat:  100% Linux and, previously, Unix. Co-founder of the ELRepo Project.

Please consider making a donation to support the running of this site.

Bowdon

  • Content Team
  • Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 2395
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2018, 10:53:01 AM »

Our Walter gets around!

I like the video. The singing made me imagine them as little mining elves singing in the fibre ducts while digging more trenches :)
Logged
BT Full Fibre 500 - Smart Hub 2

tickmike

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 3640
  • Yes Another Penguin !. :)
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2018, 11:23:41 AM »

Thanks for the link, very interesting reading.
I wish them all good luck.  :)
They are lucky to have some 'Dark Fibre' near them, the major fibreway half a mile from us was full to capacity a few years ago when I looked into doing a project for our village.
Logged
I have a set of 6 fixed IP's From  Eclipse  isp.BT ADSL2(G992.3) line>HG612 as a Modem, Bridge, WAN Not Bound to LAN1 or 2 + Also have FTTP (G.984) No One isp Fixed IP >Dual WAN pfSense (Hardware Firewall and routing).> Two WAN's, Ethernet LAN, DMZ LAN, Zyxel GS1100-24 Switch.

Weaver

  • Senior Kitizen
  • ******
  • Posts: 11459
  • Retd s/w dev; A&A; 4x7km ADSL2 lines; Firebrick
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2018, 02:38:48 PM »

I do think the spirit of these developments is fantastic.

I believe these are not funded by public money, am I correct?

I have a big whinge about local efforts that are taxpayer funded monopolies because the do not wholesale, so users have no choice of ISP, which makes them a second class citizen compared to their neighbour a few miles away who has a vast choice of ISPs. But that's just me. Most people I suspect neither know or care about such things.

I wonder if a practical way could be found to make it possible to have my cake and eat it. Help for a B4RN-type hero access provider to wholesale, when they don't have the infrastructure, or staff,or bureaucracy to do it all. I wonder if the necessary bureaucratic and administrative glue could be supplied by outsourcing to a suitable provider, a ‘connector’ service if you like. I am under no illusions, I don’t know if such a thing is viable or even possible. Maybe it doesn't even make sense.
Logged

burakkucat

  • Respected
  • Senior Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 38300
  • Over the Rainbow Bridge
    • The ELRepo Project
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2018, 06:02:30 PM »

I believe these are not funded by public money, am I correct?

Yes, you are absolutely correct.

I sent a message to Walter, earlier today, but have not yet had a reply. I presume he is busy mole-ploughing across the side of a Surrey hill! I'm sure he will add a post to this thread when he next passes this way.
Logged
:cat:  100% Linux and, previously, Unix. Co-founder of the ELRepo Project.

Please consider making a donation to support the running of this site.

Weaver

  • Senior Kitizen
  • ******
  • Posts: 11459
  • Retd s/w dev; A&A; 4x7km ADSL2 lines; Firebrick
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2018, 06:59:09 PM »

I think it is wonderful.

What happens when you are relying on landowners consent, all the time, mind you?

There is no way to get to Heasta apart from using
i) the sea which is large and in the wrong place, or using
ii) a narrow strip of land next to the public road, which might be owned by the council, I am unsure, or else
iii) going across completely moorland which is owned by a local mega-landowner who owns absolutely everything for miles around.

In the case of (ii) the cable could be run over by cars if they depart even slightly from the road, which they do in a panic situation. And a long time ago vehicles were always driving over BT’s copper which runs parallel to the roadside but was just lying on the bare stones ground at the Heasta Fank (sheep pens), right below my house. The vehicles pull off the road to park by the fank and then had no choice but to just drive straight over the cable every day, doing a fair job of knackering it in the end. BT finally buried it below the earth and gravel at some effective depth.

As for (iii), I don't know what the legal situation might be.

I presume that the B4*s have friendly landowners, might even be supporters of the project. Wonder if it is a nightmare if one objects? Fibre of course is not really distance-constrained, but still things could presumably become a nightmare if insufficient contiguous friendliest can be found.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2018, 07:02:34 PM by Weaver »
Logged

waltergmw

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 2776
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2018, 11:46:10 PM »

Thank you for your good wishes but we're under no misapprehension that a significant amount of work is involved as we have to set up an entirely new support system as well as laying point-to-point fibre plus the distribution cabinets.

Public money is not involved as that adds an unnecessary layer of complexity.
As a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society obtaining free wayleaves is not usually a problem.
Those that really can't be convinced are circumvented and are "advised" that any subsequent change of mind must cover the full cost of the diversion.
The effect on property prices is another helpful lever both for those who own their property and landlords who increase the desirability of their lettings.

There is usually a margin on the road side which is owned by the council but, unlike those who have obtained "Code Powers" from Ofcom, applications must be made to the relevant Highways Authority to work on or near to public roads.
Any road works by any organisation is expected to make good afterwards and maintain it so for a period of time.

Those who have been "left starving" are usually not concerned about having a choice of ISP as the costs are substantially lower than the major Telcos in any case.
The small size of the operation usually means there are far fewer long-running failures and real fibre works very reliably.
Accidental damage does happen very occasionally but the landowner is not held responsible.

Finding dark fibre close-by can be difficult at first as some of the Operators won't lease to others.
Once the network is established longer distances can be covered provided some residents are prepared to invest sufficient money.
Covering the fibre lease costs rapidly is a risk that must be carefully managed as a part of the investment capital must be consumed until the revenue can firstly cover the lease cost, then repay the capital and interest before returning the cash invested.

Logged

Weaver

  • Senior Kitizen
  • ******
  • Posts: 11459
  • Retd s/w dev; A&A; 4x7km ADSL2 lines; Firebrick
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2018, 03:11:34 AM »

I think it’s truly inspiring.
Logged

waltergmw

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 2776
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2018, 11:46:55 AM »

@ Weaver,

If you'd like to see some just a little closer to home have a look here:-

http://balquhidder.net

Note how young all the operatives are !!!!!

Our organisations thrive on semi-retired volunteers who need to be kept amused.   ;) ;) ;)
Logged

Weaver

  • Senior Kitizen
  • ******
  • Posts: 11459
  • Retd s/w dev; A&A; 4x7km ADSL2 lines; Firebrick
Re: B4SH -- A New Provider
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2018, 10:48:25 PM »

I have stayed there a couple of times in fact.
Logged