Open letter to the Fast Capel Broadband campaign

Fast Capel Broadband Campaign
The Village Cottage, Coldharbour
DORKING, RH5 6HD

3rd January, 2011

I read today on BT's Race To Infinity web site that, by BT's measure, Capel's campaign wasn't successful.
 

It may not have met BT's target but it did demonstrate the demand for better Internet access and the resolve of local residents to work together to achieve this.  There is now an opportunity to leverage the support that the campain mustered to go beyond BT's idea of "Infinity."
 

BT’s statements about their proposed “Infinity” service are misleading. They refer to it as “Fibre Broadband” but it has already been established that this phrase is meaningless.  BT “Infinity” isn’t promising anything revolutionary and may not be a significant improvement over current services for many customers.
Other villages in the UK  are forming Community Interest Companies (CICs) to commission their own broadband access solutions. Companies such as Rutland Telecom and Fibrestream have successfully deployed networks in rural areas without waiting for BT.
 

The resultant solution will be technically superior to BT's "Infinity" not least because CICs reinvest their profits to the community, rather than paying lavish bonuses.

I recommend you look at the success story of a village that has been brave enough to strike out on their own, Ashby de la Launde in Lincolnshire.

Given the enthusiasm and energy demonstrated in the Fast Capel campaign, I have no doubt that a successful Community Interest Company could be formed here; next generation broadband access could be realised without begging the munificence of BT, and the community would be enriched in the process.

If you want to pursue these options I would be more than happy to help in any way I can.

Yours most sincerely,

 

Aled Morris
Cc:  Cllr. Iain Murdoch