Meeting Notes

Meeting Notes
Present:
Paul Coles
Karen Bridgeford
Steve Male
Venue:
Author: S. F. Male
Version 1.0
(BT)
(DCC/CDS)
(HCG)
Dan Piper
James McInnes
(BT)
(DCC)
Moorland Lodge, Burdon Lane, Highampton
Meeting Date:
27 Feb 2014 12:00
Date Printed:
1 Mar 2014 10:58
1
The purpose of the meeting was to review the standing of Highampton Parish in the
Connecting Devon & Somerset (CDS) project to improve rural broadband in the
counties of Devon & Somerset.
2
For those not fully familiar with all the attendees:
2.1
Paul Coles is the BT South West Regional Manager.
2.2
Dan Piper is the BT manager liaising with Connecting Devon & Somerset.
2.3
Karen Bridgeford is a Principle Economic Development Officer, Devon
County Council/Connecting Devon & Somerset Broadband Team.
2.4
James McInnes is the Devon County Councillor for Hatherleigh and Chagford
which includes Highampton.
2.5
Steve Male is the Chairman of the Highampton Community Group.
3
Karen confirmed that on present plans it was unlikely that Highampton would receive
any improvement to its broadband services under the existing funding arrangements
due to its current circa 2Mb service and its location.
4
However this might change if:
4.1
The current plan yields more take up thus freeing further funds,
4.2
Or as central Government releases further funding (which it has but this has
yet to be allocated),
4.3
Or Highampton might be upgraded in later parts of the plan.
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Meeting Notes
Present:
Paul Coles
Karen Bridgeford
Steve Male
Venue:
Author: S. F. Male
Version 1.0
5
(BT)
(DCC/CDS)
(HCG)
Dan Piper
James McInnes
(BT)
(DCC)
Moorland Lodge, Burdon Lane, Highampton
Meeting Date:
27 Feb 2014 12:00
Date Printed:
1 Mar 2014 10:58
Paul then outlined the process to set up a community based scheme:
5.1
This would be a contract between a community body, often but not always the
Parish Council, and BT to install the necessary fibre infrastructure.
5.2
This would be a one-off charge and then subsequent maintenance and any
upgrades would be handled by BT and/or the Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
5.3
The first stage is for HCG to supply BT with representative telephone numbers
of the area to be included in the plan.
5.4
BT would provide a Non-Disclosure Agreement for the community body to
sign with BT.
5.5
BT would review the telephone numbers and then develop a quote to install the
infrastructure.
5.6
Up until this point there would be no charges by BT, DCC or CDS.
5.7
However there would be no assistance in funding from CDS or DCC.
5.8
The installation would typically comprise of a cabinet in Highampton that
would aggregate all the telephone cables to the premises and then it in turn
would connect to the exchange. Along with a second, adjacent, cabinet to
handle the fibre-optic broadband connections and linkage to the copper
premises cables.
5.9
If the community body decided to proceed the price quoted would be due
payable to BT 50% on signing a contract and 50% on completion.
5.10
The typical time taken from signature of contract to high-speed broadband
being available locally is typically 6 to 9 months.
5.11
After completion then the actual speed available at each premises would
depend on the distance to the new cabinets but in any event would be better
than that obtaining now via the ADSL systems currently installed.
5.12
To obtain these faster speeds then each subscriber would have to contact their
ISP and get a new service agreement that would typically involve an increase
in cost for the higher speed connection. The actual prices charged would
depend on the ISP the customer contracted with.
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Meeting Notes
Present:
Paul Coles
Karen Bridgeford
Steve Male
Venue:
Author: S. F. Male
Version 1.0
6
(BT)
(DCC/CDS)
(HCG)
Dan Piper
James McInnes
(BT)
(DCC)
Moorland Lodge, Burdon Lane, Highampton
Meeting Date:
27 Feb 2014 12:00
Date Printed:
1 Mar 2014 10:58
It was later stressed by Karen in an e-mail (copy at end of minutes) subsequent to the
meeting that to proceed down this route:
6.1
A direct relationship will be formed between a legal entity (e.g.
Company Limited by Guarantee) within the Community and BT’s
commercial operations and result in a legally-binding contract if the
Community opts for a self-funded option.
6.2
The Community needs to recognise that no additional or matching
contributions will be made by the Connecting Devon and Somerset
project into this arrangement at any stage going forwards.
6.3
Once a formal quote has been provided to the Community and the
Community indicates it wishes to proceed, 50% of the sum required
from the Community is due before commencement of the works, with
the remaining 50% being due post completion and sign-off.
6.4
The typical timescale from BT survey to ready for service is 6 – 9 months,
assuming all runs smoothly.
7
It was stressed by Karen, James and Paul that the major benefits of going this route
were:
7.1
The certainty of having high speed access irrespective of any potential changes
to the CDS plans.
7.2
The ability of advancing the time when they are available over what could be
achieved by CDS if they changed their plans.
8
In the event that after any contract being agreed CDS should widen its current plan to
include Highampton there would be no reimbursement of the cost to the residents of
Highampton.
9
The situation about the loss of the BT LearningStream service at the school was
discussed and James, Karen and Paul said they would investigate what is going on
because they were unaware of these parallel developments with SWGfL.
10
Steve queried the current CDS status of the 01837 numbers in the parish as being
currently “live” for high-speed broadband. Karen said that did not mean that every
ISP would offer a service or indeed whether any service was indeed available. The
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Meeting Notes
Present:
Paul Coles
Karen Bridgeford
Steve Male
Venue:
Author: S. F. Male
Version 1.0
(BT)
(DCC/CDS)
(HCG)
Dan Piper
James McInnes
(BT)
(DCC)
Moorland Lodge, Burdon Lane, Highampton
Meeting Date:
27 Feb 2014 12:00
Date Printed:
1 Mar 2014 10:58
only way to check this would be for those residents with a 01837 number to ask their
ISP if a service was available and at what cost.
11
Actions outstanding:
11.1
HCG to supply to Paul Coles the local telephone numbers
Steve Male
11.2
HCG to forward a copy of the SWGfL letter
Steve Male
11.3
BT to review the telephone numbers, provide the non-disclosure agreement,
and determine the quote.
Paul Coles
11.4
BT to provide the upstream and downstream bandwidth available from the BT
LearningStream
Paul Coles
11.5
James and Karen to investigate the position for Highampton School as a result
of the e-mail and its relationship/impact on the CDS project
JamesMcinnes
& Karen Bridgeford
12
Karen Bridgeford’s subsequent e-mail:
Dear Steve,
It was good to meet you again and discuss the option of a self-funded scheme for
Highampton.
CDS is pleased that it is able to use its relationship with BT to broker this option for
Highampton/the Parish Council to consider. As stressed at the meeting, the selffunded option allows communities to 1) get an uplift in speed quicker than the CDS
roll-out may provide and 2) gives more certainty that they will be covered – the
Community must therefore weigh up these advantages in the context that CDS is
continuing to lobby hard for additional funding to reach more communities but
would not be able to retrospectively fund a self-funded scheme, if Highampton
decides to contract for this option. This must be clearly communicated to all
residents/businesses in the Parish and we will work with you to do this, should you
decide to proceed.
I have set out some further key points which need to be fully understood by the
Parish Council:
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Meeting Notes
Present:
Paul Coles
Karen Bridgeford
Steve Male
Venue:
Author: S. F. Male
Version 1.0
(BT)
(DCC/CDS)
(HCG)
Dan Piper
James McInnes
(BT)
(DCC)
Moorland Lodge, Burdon Lane, Highampton
Meeting Date:
27 Feb 2014 12:00
Date Printed:
1 Mar 2014 10:58
1.
A direct relationship will be formed between a legal entity (e.g. Company
Limited by Guarantee) within the Community and BT’s commercial
operations and result in a legally-binding contract if the Community opts for a
self-funded option.
2.
The Community needs to recognise that no additional or matching
contributions will be made by the Connecting Devon and Somerset project
into this arrangement at any stage going forwards.
3.
Once a formal quote has been provided to the Community and the Community
indicates it wishes to proceed, 50% of the sum required from the Community
is due before commencement of the works, with the remaining 50% being due
post completion and sign-off.
4.
The typical timescale from BT survey to ready for service is 6 – 9 months,
assuming all runs smoothly.
The next steps are:
1.
Steve Male (acting on behalf of the Parish Council/Highampton) to provide
20-30 telephone numbers from the area to Paul Coles.
2.
On receipt of the telephone number Paul Coles will ask Openreach to check
existing infrastructure and how people in Highampton are currently served by
the core network and report back to Steve Male on scheme feasibility.
3.
In order to receive the gap funded quote a Non-Disclosure Agreement would
need to be signed. Once that is signed, and after a period of design work,
Openreach will provide the gap funded quote. The Non-Disclosure agreement
is not a commitment to proceed and can be sorted whilst steps 1 and 2 are
happening.
4.
Parish Council to consider whether to proceed with a self-funded option.
I hope this helps your decision-making process on this but please get in touch if there
is anything further we can help with. I have also made enquiries re the email you
received via the school and just checking a couple of details that were fed back to me
before I send you something on this. Will be in touch in due course,
Regards,
Karen.
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Meeting Notes
Present:
Paul Coles
Karen Bridgeford
Steve Male
Venue:
Author: S. F. Male
Version 1.0
(BT)
(DCC/CDS)
(HCG)
Dan Piper
James McInnes
(BT)
(DCC)
Moorland Lodge, Burdon Lane, Highampton
Meeting Date:
27 Feb 2014 12:00
Date Printed:
1 Mar 2014 10:58
Karen Bridgford
Economic Development Officer, Devon County Council/Connecting Devon & Somerset
Broadband Team
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