Paul Chatwin from Superfast Staffordshire will be attending to give an update on the Superfast Staffordshire Project. Please note the Executive Summary attached is highly sensitive and must not be distributed beyond the Members of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
Minutes:
The Chair welcomed Paul Chatwin, Project Manager, from Superfast Broadband to the meeting to provide an update on the Superfast Staffordshire project. Hot Mix radio station from Audley and District were in attendance to record discussions around the report if Members were in agreement. The recording would be submitted to the Council’s Communications Team before going live. All Members were in agreement for the recording to take place.
Paul Chatwin reported that the Superfast Staffordshire project was now in the process of fibre enabling approximately 500 existing cabinets within the project intervention area. Nearly 10,000 premises would have access to the superfast broadband network by the end of September 2014 and a further 80,000 by 2016.
Approximately 66 cabinets would be upgraded in the Newcastle-under-Lyme district by June 2016. The exchange areas that are set to benefit from this project included; Ashley, Audley, Betley, Bobbington, Kidsgrove, Madeley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Pipegate, Waterhays, Dimsdale and Whitmore.
As these communities come “on line” the Demand Stimulation Team would undertake a series of awareness raising activities that would alert the residents and businesses as to the availability of the service in their area. Residents would also be able to access Superfast Staffordshire website and Twitter to acquire when the installation would take place in their area.
By mid 2016 97% of the premises in Staffordshire would be connected to the superfast fibre network. Approximately 472,000 (95%) of premises would be able to receive speeds in excess of 24 megabits per second. All premises in Staffordshire would be able to receive a minimum of 2 megabits as part of the Universal Service Commitment.
Since the contract had been signed a joint County Council, BT and BDUK project team had been formed, along with the governance structures required to deliver the project in line with BDUK requirements.
The project would be delivered in a series of eight phases (quarters) over the two year fibre deployment period, starting in 2014 and due for completion by 2016. Over 500 individual structures would be upgraded during this period.
Communities would start to benefit from May 2014 and would be able to order superfast broadband services.
Officers of the Superfast Staffordshire project team would lead the promotional and awareness raising activities, to ensure communities and businesses alike are alerted to the provision and benefits of the service. This would involve working with stakeholders, Parish Councils and locally recruited broadband champions to work with communities to ensure those services are fully utilised.
A Member asked for the reason why some areas are not being upgraded. Paul Chatwin advised it could be due to new housing developments and if the take up exceeded the 20% gap, reinvestment would be made to tackle the 5% areas.
The Executive Director for Regeneration and Development expressed concern over the small proportion of areas in Newcastle-under-Lyme receiving the upgrade in the first phase of the programme compared to other areas of Staffordshire. Paul Chatwin confirmed British Telecom decide where installation would be carried out and reported back quarterly to Superfast Staffordshire advising of the next stage of connection. The contract was a fixed price and delivered by British Telecom.
RESOLUTION:- That the Committee receive the report.
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