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PLEASE NOTE: These notes are for guidance only: for definitive information please refer to
B4RN business plan and www.b4rn.org.uk
Report from the second meeting to consider the possiblity of Hyperfast Fibre Broadband for
Lawkland, Eldroth, Wharfe, Feizor and Austwick, 18th April 2015
Over 50 residents attended a second meeting to ask questions about a potential Hyperfast Fibre
Broadband project for the communities of Lawkland, Eldroth, Wharfe, Feizor and Austwick
(LEWFA). Nearly 80 households have attended this or the first meeting.
Question were put firstly to Barry Forde CEO of Broadband for the Rural North, (B4RN), which
could provide of a hyperfast fibre broadband service for the area.
What is B4RN?
• a non-for profit organisation registered as a Community Benefit Society within the Industrial and
Provident Societies Act 1965 (IPS) formed in 2011
• business plan proposes to roll out a hyperfast fibre broadband network to 3500 rural properties
• started its first roll out in April 2012
• now involved in 35 parishes with 1000 connections to date, at a rate of 50-100 new ones per
month
• in a recent survey Lancaster was named as having the best broadband service in the country. Mr
Forde felt this was because it includes a number of parishes already using the B4RN network which
bumps up the average in what is a BT Infinity enabled fibre broadband area.
Issues raised included
The nature and possible redemption of shares and investment in a project:
• B4RN holds the investment raised by the community involved for the costs and provision for a
broadband service.
• Shares could be redeemed at face value after three years, on a first come first served basis.
• They are now setting up mechanisms for the redemption of shares.
• If someone has shares and moves out of the area, they retain the interest on them unless and until
they redeem them or assign them on to the new householder.
• Investing £1500 in shares/loans would earn free installation (£150).
• Investment attracts, if applicable, 30% tax relief
• current B4RN interest is 5%
• trench digging attracts an incentive of £1.50 in shares per metre
Could grants be applied for to help fund the project?
• The Government had invested in the scheme won by BT Infinity, acknowledging that this would
leave some 5% of communities without a fibre service
• Mr Nicholas explained that when ACBA had tried to apply for grants it was such a protracted
exercise that it was not felt worth the effort
Steps a community needs to take to install a B4RN network
• Negotiate agreement from Landowners for a route for the network line
• Dig trenches and undertake tasks as volunteers
• Invest in the scheme to cover costs
Running costs to householder:
• Monthly cost of £30 per household for broadband with additional £7-12 for Vonage phone usage
depending on package (eg free calls to land lines and/or mobiles)
• with B4RN there is no need for BT connection so no BT line rental necessary
• B4RN service costs about the same as for BT Infinity, but Mr Forde says it is a faster, better, more
reliable service
Addendum: • current users of emails such as btinternet, talktalk etc addresses will need to change
to another, for example hotmail, yahoo or gmail. Other email addresses can still be used. If you
change telephone service provider from BT to a provider such as Vonage you can transfer existing
telephone numbers to it. POST MEETING - please seek advice when the time comes.
Reliability and Sustainability of B4RN service
• Mr Forde felt that fibre broadband is the future proof technology, and B4RN had devised its
scheme to last at least 50 years, and to be organised by rural communities for rural communities
• 1 gb is available, depends on household usage, about 30-100mb average but higher capabilities
possible
• Current network comes from Manchester but when the service reaches 50% capacity, another one
is installed - currently in hand either from Manchester or Edinburgh
• B4RN delivers 24hr/365 day maintenance and emergency service - have had a couple of problems
in its lifetime but not many
• service breakdown normally occurs inside a household due to resident's equipment or
configuration; technical advice available from B4RN. Communities encouraged to look to have
technical support from within itself for the long term
• financially, now with 1000 connections each paying £300 (less VAT) a year, this gives B4RN a
cash flow of £300,000 which now covers core running costs with a paid professional staff
Implications for landowners of a planned route for the installation:
• Each community group plans the most suitable route absolutely and only in consultation with
landowners
• landowners give permission/no-charge wayleaves for the route to cross their land if they wish
• local knowledge is employed to overcome any obstacles - such as drainage, pipelines, work in
progress on land
• residents donate labour and machinery to dig trenches and help lay ducting, but landowners can
make use of the share incentive to dig trenches or pay for someone else to do the work
Could the system be installed in built up areas like Austwick village?
• Mr Forde felt this was possible but would be costly, especially as there is the alternative that
residents near the BT Infinity fibre box in the village can use.
Location
• community planning groups build in costs to provide connection to all households in their area.
This need not be taken up by householder, but evidence suggest that a good broadband connection
enhances property values
• the service is designed for rural and remote areas not served by BT Infinity type services
• B4RN takes the fibre into the house through the wall, installing a box on the interior wall. Inside
the house, the resident needs to provide their own equipment, which may need updating or altering
to get the most from the service.
• for very remote locations, consideration may need to be given for property owner to make a
contribution for materials and installation. This is the exception rather than the rule
A user of a B4RN system, Mike Pugh of Abbeystead near Lancaster, explained his experience
of having the service installed in 2012/13, one of the first parishes to be linked up to the B4RN
network.
• there was no community planning group to co-ordinate the project - he had to deal direct with
B4RN, and experienced "teething" problems with this
• Mr Forde explained that now, the roll-out only takes place through such groups
• Mr Pugh and two neighbours funded additional work from the nearest "chamber" to their
properties of a distance of few hundred metres. No digging share incentive was in operation at the
time to help with this
• he had been happy with the BT (not fibre) connection at the time
• he compared relative costs and benefits between having a conventional BT broadband service by
BT phone connection to those of being a B4RN customer. He felt costs were about the same - now
saving about £80 a year, possibly more if he goes onto the Vonage package to include free mobile
phone calls
• he discovered that it was not possible to dial 5 digit phone numbers on the same exchange. This
was overcome by using the STD number first
• he described the B4RN service as good with no problems, once B4RN and he had solved an initial
problem with siting the computer in the office upstairs to the wi-fi box!
• he regularly skypes New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia without any problem
• previously, downloading BBC I-player would buffer sometimes. Now on the B4RN network it
doesn't
• several different internet devices can be used at the same time in the house, which was not easy
before
Questions were asked about the long term role of Austwick Community Broadband
Association (ACBA) which were answered by Michael Southworth
• the service is totally dependent on the free services of 2 volunteers to maintain it
• the wireless system cannot provide the capacity and speed available from fibre optic cable
• while recognising that ACBA members have received an outstanding service in terms of capability
and price it is not certain for how long this service might be maintained. It is for this reason that the
ACBA Committee support the B4RN project.
Concluding the meeting which was organised by Lawkland Parish, the chairman Christine Watson,
asked for a show of hands in support of proceeding with the project. An overwhelming majority
indicated this, and over 30 people signed up to help with a variety of tasks.
A working group is now being formed to take over the initiative from Lawkland Parish.