Local community broadband ?

Just thinking aloud seeing the likes of hydroponics putting in fibre to blocks of flats and wondering what barriers there might be to a group of neighbours setting up their own network in a typical urban street/estate.

If one property in the street had a switch and run fibre to the other houses. What is the fibre tax would that apply to such a project ? Seemingly BT can happily string overhead telephone cables over several gardens without obtaining wayleaves or similar legal requirements. So I was thinking with say 25 or so houses all backing on to each other in the block surely we could easily erect a pole in one back garden in a central position and send fibres/cables over to the eaves?

Edited by deleted (Fri 27-Jan-12 11:39:22)

In reply to a post by Going_Digital:

Just thinking aloud seeing the likes of hydroponics putting in fibre to blocks of flats and wondering what barriers there might be to a group of neighbours setting up their own network in a typical urban street/estate.

If one property in the street had a switch and run fibre to the other houses. What is the fibre tax would that apply to such a project ? Seemingly BT can happily string overhead telephone cables over several gardens without obtaining wayleaves or similar legal requirements. So I was thinking with say 25 or so houses all backing on to each other in the block surely we could easily erect a pole in one back garden in a central position and send fibres/cables over to the eaves?

BT does not need wayleaves (in general) and they are legally permitted to put wires where they need them - subject to certain rules. The rights are enshrined in UK law.

An individual would need to obtain permission in some form.

Erectig a pole and providing service - planning permission, Ofcom licence, liability insurance, cost of equipment including that required to splice and terminate fibre, health and safety training, ...