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Community confusion may prove a barrier to rural broadband improvements
Friday 13th May 2011, by Daniel King
Confusion among local communities could prove a barrier to improving personal and business broadband access in rural Britain, as set out in the government's broadband access strategy.
Around £530 million has been made available for the development of local broadband infrastructure through the government's Broadband Delivery UK body.
In an article for the Guardian, Independent Network Cooperative Association (Inca) technical strategist Adrian Wooster and chief executive Malcolm Corbett explained that communities frequently get confused about what they want to achieve with fibre optic broadband, leading to a lack of clarity that pervades community access strategies.
Inca was set up to help co-ordinate a joined-up strategy bringing together disparate local communities across the UK keen to improve their broadband infrastructure.
One of the fundamental aims of the project is to create a cohesive, interconnected network across the UK, which joins together communities seeking improved broadband infrastructure.
The organisation is currently involved in projects in South Yorkshire, Cumbria, the Lake District, Bournemouth and Dundee.
One of the major issues identified by Inca that needs to be addressed is finding solutions that match both the high technical demands of some communities, compared to those who are less ambitious.
However, far more challenging will be replacing existing copper wiring with fibre optic broadband infrastructure, to develop a local access network.
The two Inca employees wrote: "The local access network is the most expensive and challenging part. Reflecting differing community needs and capabilities is hard, but it is necessary for a successful local broadband plan."
In March, Cumbria County Council began the procurement process ahead of its superfast broadband pilot.
The news came in the same month that the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs launched its Rural Community Broadband Fund, which is expected to make £20 million in funding available to support rural broadband infrastructure.
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