Next generation:Yorkshire leads Wireless Rural Broadband

Hi,

We are lucky in North Yorkshire that there is now appreciation that community broadband can deliver next generation broadband. It could be the only economically viable solution for remote rural areas and that is as much as 25% of the population of North Yorkshire according to a recent survey. NYNET responsible for operating North Yorkshires optical fibre ring on behalf of North Yorkshire Council are appealing for villages or hamblets and individuals where there is demonstrable market failure, ie the user is unable to do the basic necessities of working from home, kids do their homework, or have access to new media (iplayer) to get in contact. There is promise of possible funding for future projects after the 2 pilots presently going ahead in which we are involved in delivery.

L N Communications specialise in providing broadband to notspot/slowspots. We have community networks throughout North and East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Now rolling out next generation wireless networks and working with NYNET to help create community projects for whole villages. We are the only provider in large areas of the national parks

Modern Radio network equipment is inexpensive(similar to a domestic router) and large scale networks capable of delivering fibre optic speeds at distances of many miles for less tha £200/connection for infrastructure, gateways and client installation have in the last few monthes become possible.

Wireless will be the future of rural broadband and the 'last third' that the so called telephone tax is aimed at, but that willl never be accepted by the incumbant telecoms, satellite providers, or INCA eager to get there hands on it. BT's BET technology and trying to push satellite technology designed for broadcast to do unicast is not going to deliver even todays user's expectations of proper boradband. Fibre could happen but realistically digging trenches up mountains is going to costs 1000 times more than current wireless.

Fi Wi is a term coined to describe the idea. Simply where the fibre runs out then wireless takes over as there are no losses with distance or number of' hops'

The tricky bit is bringing communities together to make this happen and educating them on their real options. And its thanks to sites and forums like this may help potential champions to surface.

The next problem is backhaul: We need general acceptance that communities where there is market failure that access should be granted to the public sector infrastructure and allowed to piggy back. This is happening in a few enlightened counties ie Kent and North Yorkshire but it should become public policy, and vehicles like NYNET created to batter down the impediments to progress. Duct sharing coming under a beefed up and more effective OFCOM would also help the last third.... if your listening Mr Timms as would clarifying VOA stance on 'rating' next gen wireless for this sector

Anyone wishing to know more please make contact.

Nick
CLANNET were winners of Local Hero award for' Making a difference in the community' 2007

hi,

i would be interested in this technology >

Fi Wi is a term coined to describe the idea. Simply where the fibre runs out then wireless takes over as there are no losses with distance or number of' hops'

no losses with number of hops ... no latency increase? , no speed decreases.. you can sell me that kit any day

Lets hope this doesn't go the same way a lot of funding up there has gone before on failed wifi mesh projects etc.. It gives serious providers of Wireless broadband an uphill struggle when so much has gone so wrong at much cost to the tax payer..

Fi Wi as you call it is a sensible solution but is nothing new, what do you think backhaul's our networks..? , oh yes Gigabit Fibres..

I think he/she was referring to the 'failed mesh projects' when talking about losses, as im sure you know the technical downfalls of 'meshing', it really wasn't a commercial product but they certainly served their purpose 6/7 years ago.

I know of a few communities in my county who would of seriously suffered if it wasn't for these initial networks. In any case it was what was affordable at the time, we know BT wasn't gonna go there (and still haven't) and nor has any other large commercial ISP, the funds that were allocated at the time from rural initiative associations and RDA's were small and looking from a purely business point of view they were ridiculously under funded.

Saying that most of the communities networks I know of have since been upgraded and some are fibre fed, and have been for some time.

So yes it's not a new thing and no I believe in some cases tax payers money has been VERY well spent.

Hi,

Just to say, two days in with LN Comm and I am VERY happy. My internet connection is an incredible SEVENTY FIVE times faster than ADSL was...

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1460299506.png

What package are you on?
How much per month?
Was there any install/connection cost?
Do you know what hardware they are using?

Nice speed!

This is happening in a few enlightened counties ie Kent...

Happening yes but too expensive to use at present. KPSN is £1000 per Mbit a Year IIRC. The one case I know of in Kent it was not used due to cost.

It is therefore far cheaper to get a leased line in a low cost area (somewhere with choice of VM, BT etc) and beam it out to the not-spot.

The Extra package, £23.99 per month, Ubiquiti kit.

http://www.ilovebroadband.co.uk/

I found today metroid 2247 offer Wimax they have partnered with brisknet.ie and Defra to offer high speed wireless broadband using Motorola canopy and also offer Wimax. Theya re operating across Yorkshire. They are also looking for villages and hamlets to come forward. email them on 'more at 2247 .co.uk'. I spoke to them today and they are coming round to my farm tomorrow to do a survey. This is a godsend to anyone wanting fasting broadband in rural areas like mine.

I've looked at their website 2247.co.uk and I can see no details of Wimax or wireless.

Ring them or email them. They use the name Birksnet in Ireland but have only just started in the UK.