Progress report

APC have completed site surveys and planned the network to bring the backhaul signal into the area, applied for licences from Ofcom and pre-ordered equipment ready for installation. Depending on the time taken to process the licence application, the backhaul for phase 1 (Cilycwm and Llanfihangel Aberbythych) should be working by the end of April at the latest.  APC are currently working on the network design for extending the backhaul throughout Carmarthenshire and we expect this in the next few days.

ResQ have been negotiating the siting of base stations for phase 1. They have nearly completed extensive redevelopment of their premises in preparation for starting installations on your properties.  They are currently completing their proposal for us to submit as part of our Community application to the WAG Broadband Support Scheme.  They are also working on a provisional roll-out schedule which will include all communities.  We will publish this on the website as soon as it becomes available.

The Welsh Assembly Government Broadband Support Scheme has been checking grant eligibility of all the registrations we have received so far.  They are also considering proposals we have put to them to make the application procedure easier for the end-user and, again, we expect them to report back in the next few days.

Your Community Reps. are meeting regularly and actively monitoring the progress of all aspects of the project.The very hard work of all these partners will result in the first installations on phase one properties starting at the end of April/beginning of May, with other communities following in quick succession.

As the roll-out proceeds you will receive a grant application pack with full instructions.  Please make sure that you follow these promptly to avoid any delay in getting our community online.

Before we submit the WAG Broadband Support Scheme application we will have to close our Community scheme to new applicants so please encourage friends and neighbours to register with us if they haven’t already done so and wish to be part of the scheme.

Delivering wireless broadband to over five hundred households is a big undertaking and I am delighted to report that everybody involved in the project remains totally committed to achieving this as quickly as possible. 

Doug Taylor

CCBP

Broadband Grants

The initial backhaul schemes covering the broadband delivery to Cilycwm and Llanfihangel Aberbythych was grant aided by Carmarthenshire County Council. The extension of the scheme to other Communities will be carried out through the £1000 (inc VAT) per household being made available by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Because the cost of supplying individual locations will vary according to it's remoteness, WAG is allowing us to aggregate the grants, combining all the Communities in the CCBP. This will be a one-time arrangement and it is important that we include everyone who would want a good broadband connection. It will be possible to join the scheme subseqently, but you will need to apply for the grant as an individual and pay the going rate for the connection.

If you know anyone - a neighbour or friend - who might be interested please ask them to register at www.ccbp.org.uk or ring Steffan Davies of ResQ on 01269 500055.

For the present there is no need to do anything. the WAG Broadband Support Team will check all locations for eligibility for the grant and ResQ will prepare the grant applications for you close to the installation date.

Remember that you can keep up to date via this blog, www.ccbp4.blogspot.com, Doug Taylor's Twitter at twitter.com/#!/CarmsBP, and the ResQ website www.resq.co.uk.

This blog is intended to keep participants in the Carmarthen Community Broadband Project (CCBP) up-to-date insofar as it affects the Llanfynydd and Capel Isaac stages of the scheme. Those who registered with CCBP with an email address will have received an email from Steffan Davies of ResQ (Cross Hands), who will be the contact point for the installation and servicing of the customer equipment. He outlined the service to be supplied which, although not as high spec as that originally proposed at the community meeting, is more than adequate for domestic use, eg streaming HDTV programmes, internet telephones, on-line games etc. Importantly, the system is upgradable when the need arises, and can be supplied at a higher speed if, for instance, a business needs it.


The preliminary surveys will start from 7th February and the first communities, Cilycwm and Llanfihangel Aberbythych, should be connected early in April. After that progress will be rapid with all registrants being connected by August.


It's been a long haul, with many problems to solve along the way, but things are finally moving and we seem to be entering the 21st century at last.