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Northern Fells Broadband - News

DEFRA Come back with Questions - 4/5/12

Northern Fells Broadband submitted a development plan and application to DEFRA for funding in January this year. We received a response from DEFRA on April 17th asking for clarification/further information on four aspects of our proposal. The closing date for the provision of this information is June 29th. The steering group is now addressing the questions raised and will submit a response accordingly.

Throughout February and March we have continued to work on our proposal; however progress was inevitably delayed while waiting to hear from DEFRA.

We now have further work to complete and envisage that real progress will not be seen until we receive further feedback from DEFRA which we do not expect to receive before July.

Our position is not unique, as all of the other technical pilots received requests for further information, and to date no pilot has been awarded any funding.

These delays are not ideal but the steering group remains committed and optimistic, and will continue to strive to deliver superfast broadband to the Northern Fells.

Your support is vital to a successful project and if you know of anyone who has not yet registered interest please ask them to complete the simple form on our website.

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Houes of Lords - Superfast Broadband Report - 20/3/12

This "early report" from the House of lords says, eloquently and with some force, just what we have been saying and thinking for the past 12 months. The witness, you will see is Dr. Peter Cochrane OBE, former Chief Technological Officer, BT.

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BT expands white-space trial to Cornwall - 8/3/12

BT will extend its white-space wireless broadband trial by testing the technology in a rural location in Cornwall.

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Business Plan and Funding Application submitted - 31/1/12

Following numerous meetings in January with suppliers, consultants, BDUK and Cumbria County Council, the group submitted its full business plan and funding application to DEFRA. The completion of this application was a huge undertaking and amounted to some 100 pages of analysis, projections, costings and marketing plans.

We have been informed that the application is now being examined and we should have a decision at the end of March.

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Meeting with Mark Jameson of LUNS - 31/10/11

This was the second time that the members of the committee had met with Mark. He previously discussed the possibility of LUNS acting as manager for a network created by NFB or as mentor in the creation of a network; this meeting concentrated very thoroughly on the White Space offer.

Mark has agreed to talk to Neul on our behalf and report back to us as to whether or not he felt it was a project in which he could have more involvement and whether he felt that Neul were addressing his major concerns.

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White Space Investigations - Meeting with Neul - 27/11/11

Luke Darcy of Neul gave the group a very informative presentation about Neul and White Space. Neul are a recently formed technology company which has identified the potential of white space for rural broadband and for machine to machine communication.

White Space is the analogue part of the radio frequency which has been retained, but not used for TV.

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Connecting Cumbria Newsletter - November 2011

View the latest Newsletter HERE

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MP Rory Stewart and NHS Chief Exec attend launch of video NHS link

This link takes you to a report of a link up between Alston and Penrith hositals on September 16th 2011. It's the way things will work in the future and a good reason for us all to be aiming for Super Fast Broadband.

NFB intend to carry this idea one stage further, eventually, with the permission, help, and guidance, of the relevant part of the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust into the home of any parishioner who has the long term need for this type of consolation.

MP Rory Stewart hopes to help us in this endevour.

View Details of the Video Link HERE

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Ofcom plans White Space technology for UK

White Space technology uses signals that can travel large distances and easily through walls, which makes it suitable for a wide range of new consumer applications - including rural broadband, enhanced Wi-Fi, and machine-to-machine communications, Ofcom said.

Find out more HERE

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Fibre Walk and Colloquium

The videos link below of the Fibrewalk which Michael attended on 16th September 2011 on our behalf, in the rain. The earlier part of the walk are interesting in that they highlight some of the problems we are all likely to encounter in crossing the countryside. Those videos which were recorded in the pub are perhaps a little less informative as they do quite a bit of chitchat and some of it is lost in the background noise.

View the Fibre Walk Video HERE

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Test Your Internet Speed

Test the speed of you internet connection HERE

The BBCi Player speed test provides information about the ability to use their services.

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Cumbria County Council Announce Shortlist of Three

Cumbria County Council has announced the three organisations which have been shortlisted to help bring better broadband to the county as part of an exciting and innovative project known as Accessible Cumbria

Commendium have eliminated from the long list and the final shortlist is now BT, Cable and Wireless and Fujitsu.

View the CCC announcement in detail HERE

Northern Fells Broadband Initial Scope Document

Read the Initial Scope Document HERE.

ECCBF Letter of Thanks from Mike Kiely

Read the ECCBF Letter of Thanks from Mike Kiely HERE.

Northern Fells Broadband Newsletter - July

Read the July Newsletter HERE.

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Northern Fells Broadband Awarded Technical Pilot Status

Northern Fells Broadband have been accepted by BDUK as a Technical Pilot and will now be working hard to secure possible funding grants. Other Regional Pilot sites chosen include Eden Valley Digital and Garsdale and Dentdale.

It should be noted that any funding would possibly be capped at E200k and at present the allocation of funding is complex. BDUK/Defra are together progressing this aspect of the proposed pilots.

Northern Fells Broadband Newsletter - June

Read the June Newsletter HERE.

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Rory Stewart Leads Rural Broadband Debate

Rory Stewart has been leading the charge to get better broadband and mobile phone coverage for some of Cumbria’s most isolated areas, which currently suffer poor receptions and slow speeds, often hampering trade. With this in mind he lead a debate in the House of Commons.

House of Commons TV Coverage - fast forward to the start of the debate at 04:28:20 with Rory's speach lasting through to 04:49:40, following which others have their say. Tim Farrons, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, makes some interesting points at 05:41:00, With the Minister's response at 07:09:20, and Rory's Summing up 07:24:20..

View the written Hansard Report of the Debate.

BT Price Increases

BT's standard line rental jumped 30p to £13.90/month on 28 April, 20% higher than just 18 months ago. Daytime call costs also jump to a huge 7.6p/minute (40% more than 18 months ago) while call connection's up 1p to 12.5p. TalkTalk follows on 1 May, increasing line rental by 30p to £12.60/month, with daytime call and connection fees up too.

Northern Fells Broadband Steering Group Meet Rory Stewart

Rory Stewart MP for Penrith and The Border - Northern Fells Broadband Group is mobilising an excellent campaign to get better broadband for the seven parishes of the Northern Fells area, spanning both Eden and Allerdale councils, and the constituencies of Penrith and the Border and Workington. It is another impressive, home-grown, truly Cumbrian effort that has at its core the energy and expertise of a group of hard-working local volunteers, all united in their desire to see the Northern Fells get connected. The level of organisation of their campaign is exemplary, and I look forward to continuing to support their campaign.

Rory Stewart MP for Penrith and The Border

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Northern Fells Broadband in Rory Stewart's Easter Newsletter

Newsletter Link

Government boosts hill farm and upland communities support

Funding of up to £26million to support hill farmers and help some of England’s rural communities to thrive was unveiled this month by Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman.>/p>

A new Rural Community Broadband Fund expected to be worth up to £20million will be set up to help end the digital and social divide suffered by rural areas and up to £6million a year more will be available to hill farmers for environmental stewardship schemes.

Find out more

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