A lot of people in our community network can’t stream video, so we have made a CD for them and have put the highlights on a little Youtube video for everyone else to see. The footage was taken whilst out and about at the various dig locations, it’s amateur footage but it gives a taste of what we are doing this month.

The money from the shareholders has financed the purchase of enough stock to complete the whole core route of phase 1. We are still accepting investments from the public to finance the remainder of this phase. Details on how to do this can be found here.

Here are some key points:-

  • We deliver the ducting to the sites where people are ready to start digging.
  • We have a machine to locate underground pipes, drains, utilities. This is state of the art and provides much more detail than what you have seen utility worker use in the streets. They normally use the small hand held type.
  • We have contractors for civil works.
  • We have had training from Emtelle to teach how to join the fibre ducting. Emtelle manufacture the ducting that has been supplied to B4RN.
  • We have signed off wayleaves for most of the main routes now, and digging has commenced.
  • We have started a sponsorship scheme where anyone can use the PayPal button to donate to the project and get their name written on the ducting as it is buried. More details on this soon.

So as you can see, lots going on. Please take a look at the video, it’s about 10 minutes long, and if you have any questions, please get in touch.

9 Comments

  1. Martyn Dews | May 14, 2012

    Excellent video. It really demonstrates what is happening and that this project is REALLY happening!

  2. John O'Brien | May 14, 2012

    The video is so informative without being technical Yet again your team have produced an excellent product. Thank you.

    • chrisconder | May 17, 2012

      Thanks John! it was produced so the local farmers and landowners can be reassured that there is very little impact on the ground and it isn’t rocket science. Most land drains are far harder to lay than a little plastic tube…

  3. Geoff Pell | May 14, 2012

    This has been the most interesting video that I have seen for some time.

    Having seen how the main installations are being carried out instils confidence and reduces any concerns there may have been regarding the practicality of the scheme and just how organised the B4rn efforts are proving to be right from the start.

    Less than a year ago I, probably like many others, had given up on ever getting a direct broadband service and certainly never one that the B4rn project promises to be.

    Thanks too for keeping us well informed.

    • Martyn Dews | May 14, 2012

      Thanks for leaving a comment Geoff. I agree, actually seeing what is happening makes the project more real and instils confidence. We could not have got to this point without the huge team effort and by huge team I mean the whole community. We really are showing what can be possible. Thanks again for the kind comments. Keep spreading the word!

  4. Surrey Hills | May 17, 2012

    As usual well done all of you! Our situation probably won’t be of too much practical interest to you, but you should take great comfort from your organisation’s capabilities and pragmatic approach. As Chris has said you might find a few snags but you have the capabilities to find your way through them.

    Compare that with our Incumbent’s efforts in Ewhurst as they took a month attempting to jet and then rod their blocked ducts in two places, just to squeeze a tiny quad core tube into their existing ducts:-

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/93876976

    (The “bomb” in the picture below was the original fibre joint system they used.)

    http://www.ewhurst-broadband.org.uk/?p=2273

    Then follow that with a planning fiasco that a little common sense and discussion with the locals would have cleared up in half a day. Instead of which we might well be faced with yet another 3 month delay just to install one FTTC which might provide the closest residents with a “premium rate” maximum asymmetric speed of 76 Mbps down and only 20 Mbps up.
    http://www.ewhurst-broadband.org.uk/?p=2406
    http://www.ewhurst-broadband.org.uk/?p=2429

    • chrisconder | May 17, 2012

      Thanks Surrey Hills, unlike the incumbent we don’t have to deal with ancient infrastructure, we are building it all from scratch and its much better and will last a long time.

  5. James Bellarby | May 26, 2012

    great video, very interesting. Makes it very clear that it is happening, well done.

  6. chrisconder | May 26, 2012

    Thanks James, we’ve just put another one up – sponsor a metre, if we got lots of metres sponsored we could whip across to the eco houses? ;)