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Friday 24th October
Column Inches
We get a mention in the MK News:
Group enlists Tory boss in city-wide broadband drive
CAMPAIGNERS attempting to bring Broadband to everyone in Milton
Keynes have enlisted the help of Conservative boss Andy Dransfield.
Tory group leader Cllr Dransfield has lent his backing to the Broadband
for Milton Keynes group which boasts 500 supporters.
The campaigners are lobbying for provision of broadband Internet access
for all residents in MK. They initially started off life as Broadband
for Monkston and recently achieved their aim of providing people in
Monkston with the service.
Group co-ordinator Nick Hubbard said: "Our new houses had the phones
connected by fibre optics. Initially you would think 'wonderful' –
until you want broadband.
"I spoke to my neighbours and realised I was not the only one demanding
broadband. We contacted everyone we could think of: BT, Oftel, NTL,
councillors, our MP.
"We had a breakthrough in May after a meeting with BT. They invested
large sums of money running copper cable into Monkston in July.
Therefore 114 members should soon be joining the modern world.
"We now hope to provide this sort of service for residents throughout
the city."
Cllr Dransfield said: "I've been involved with trying to get broadband
in Loughton Park for five or six years.
"I became aware of the Broadband for Monkston campaign just as they
were getting the service for their area.
"It is important to make sure we get as much broadband coverage as
possible in MK. It will be a long haul to get BT to live up to what I
think is their responsibility. They claim to have 97 per cent coverage
nationally, but it is significantly less here." |
Thanks John for liaising with
MK News.
My Inbox
|
I was successfully broadbanded this morning!
I had some trouble initially. I tried a number of ISP's over the last 6
weeks and each time the line report each requested from BT showed Broadband
was not possible on my line.
In the end I got in touch with Serena at BT and explained my situation. By
email and by phone, Serena was very helpful and with her assistance some
database kinks were ironed out at the BT end, allowing me to get online with
ZEN.
Thank you to all in the group who have helped to made this possible.
Regards
Warwick, Monkston |
| I live in Bradwell Village and although my exchange
(Wolverton) is broadband enabled, my line length is just on the 5.5km limit,
and so far has failed the line test. BT even installed a new line but that
failed. Unfortunately BT would not tell me why the line failed. Apparently
they only give that sort of technical information to ISPs. The fact that I
have been a customer for several decades and now have three telephone lines
into the premises (at some considerable cost) apparently does not give me
the right to technical information.
I suspect the reason for the line test failure is due to the use of fibre
optic cabling somewhere or a mixture of copper and aluminium, but why they
won't admit this is beyond me.
I even tried to get information about BT's extended reach project
(allegedly extending the 5.5km limit to 6km) but no one in BT seems to know
anything. [The limit was recently
increased to 6km.]
NTL don't appear to have any plans to install digital cable, so cable
broadband is out of the question, and to get a satellite dish I have to
spend a £110 or so for planning permission (I already have a Sky dish) on
top of any equipment and installation costs.
I find all this very frustrating and I am becoming increasingly annoyed at
the BT adverts alleging 80% coverage. If someone living in the centre of a
new town like MK cannot get broadband what hope is there for anyone living
in rural areas.
Regards
Alan |
| I'm currently developing a
website and one of the
things I plan on doing is creating a dynamic mapping system. This, in
theory, would allow the user to view a UK map, zoom in, out, go to a
specific area, whatever, and all the time it would show locations of
telephone exchanges. These would of course be coloured to show the
difference between enabled, or otherwise.
I've heard from various places that it's possible to use the MapPoint OCX
direct with ASP, but I'm afraid I have very little ASP knowledge (PHP is a
altogether different matter mind you!). Anyway, I saw your site, saw that
you were in the UK, and thought you might be able to provide some insight
into how I might link ASP with the MapPoint OCX.
I'm still working on getting postcodes for all the areas, but using the town
names as keys has allowed me to experiment importing data.
Thanks,
Sam
[The official Bill Gates answer would be to use
MapPoint
Web Service. I think that's his licensable solution.
I am using more amateurish maps (with exchanges!)
using scans.
I have considered using MapPoint but the local detail in MK is not
up-to-date. (You are looking countrywide - so it's more useful.)] |
|
Wireless Broadband - Success in Middleton !!!
To be honest I wasn't expecting for the NTL guys to find a signal.
Now, I'm off to download the Internet...
Regards,
Jules, Wrens Park, Middleton |
I was interested to receive a note through my letterbox
this morning enquiring of my interest to lobby for broadband.
I live in Crownhill. It may interest you to know that I have had broadband
with BT now for nearly a year. The service works perfectly with no problems
and has done for the duration of the time I have had it. I did have major
problems trying to get it (over a two year period) but eventually my
persistence prevailed. I am exactly 3.6km from my exchange (Stony Stratford)
but this is not affecting the service. The last time I was rejected was due
to "noise on the line".
I effectively lost the battle really as every company I put orders through
came back and said BT rejected the order. But, funnily enough, BT eventually
gave me the service themselves for the rip off price of £29 a month for just
the connection. I should have complained to OFTEL but could not be bothered.
Regards
Jeremy |
|
Fellow Narrowbanders,
I'm going to get surveyed for the Wireless trial!!! As Wrens Park Middleton
can get a signal, I live in hope that using the 1/(r2) rule, the
signal should be a Femtowatt or two stronger in Great Linch. That is
assuming that no pesky trees or houses get in the way.
I am deeply deeply sceptical that nothing other than Radio 4 can penetrate
this area.
Dave, Wrens Park, Middleton |
| Don't put a hex on wireless please!!! I keep reading in
the group:
"Oooh it cant be feasible"
"Too high failure rate"
"Don't waste my council tax"
Come on guys... give it a rest... I've been waiting over two years
for broadband... I've finally got it through this wireless trial and now
feel like a protective father over this opportunity that I've been given.
I am SO happy that I finally have it and bless the trial for giving it to
me. Let's hear something positive......or...... I might just cry ;-)
James, Bradwell Common (563k)
[We have a fairly positive
page.] |
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