NTL are going to try and connect me next Thursday.

I'm pretty sure I can't see the transmitter but you never know. I don't have a chimney or a gable end on my roof.

How big a pole do you think they'll bring?  :-)

Jas, Bradwell Common.

It's pleasing to hear about progress being made using RF communication to bring broadband to people in parts of Milton Keynes.  What disturbs me is that this is only a partial solution, its still not going to deal with Milton Keynes poor communications infrastructure.  It seems amazing that we still don't have free to air digital TV, channel 5 is appalling, and mobile comms regularly trip out. 

[And you could include the number of DAB digital radio channels you get here in Milton Keynes. Go to London or Manchester there's three times as much choice.

OK, all a bit off beam for our mandate of lobbying for Broadband in MK, but they all share the root cause: the government not funding telecoms infrastructure. Relying on Market Forces... who's daft idea was that?]

I wonder whether there is a need for an overall communications review for Milton Keynes.  A new City with old communications.
 
Come on Dr Phyllis Starkey (Labour) and Brian White (Labour),  do you think Robert Maxwell (Labour) would have allowed this fiasco to have developed?

Greaves, Loughton

[In fairness to our "founding fathers" they hedged their bets by providing ducting alongside the grid roads.
http://www.bb4mk.org/MK_Telecoms_History.htm

Why should BT do anything? They are not the paternalistic GPO. They fulfil their service obligations - we've all got working phones that can carry data calls at 2400 bps.
 
All this nonsense about trigger levels and rural communities...

I guess the large circular playing field in the middle of Monkston makes my estate "rural". Loughton - well the old bit is just like a North Bucks village! So you don't deserve to have Broadband!

BT's problem is with the length of "local loop" and a history of poor record keeping. They don't know what cable runs where.

Try contacting your elected representatives:

Going up the hierarchy I'd suggest:

Loughton Parish Councillor Neil Cawley. He is a member of our group and very knowledgeable.
http://www.loughtonpc.org.uk/
NeilRLCawley@aol.com

Andy Dransfield is the Chairman of Loughton Parish Council as well as a MK Councillor. He has been working closely with the council on Broadband issues.
http://www.loughtonpc.org.uk/
andy.dransfield@milton-keynes.gov.uk

David Hopkins  E-champion, Milton Keynes Council
david.hopkins@milton-keynes.gov.uk

I don't know how far you'll get with MP's Don't bust a gut expecting a reply!

http://www.brianwhite.org.uk/

http://www.phyllisstarkey.labour.co.uk/]

I have lived in Bolbeck Park since April 1995.

I currently use NTL freedom for my connection over the BT network. I too would like broadband but this seems unlikely at the moment.

NTL told me they themselves are planning to cable the City of Westminster next and MK is a long way off.
[Their trial in Westminster is over: they are now working in MK.]

I asked if they had bought the TV cable network from BT as BT were apparently not allowed to have terrestrial and satellite interests in line with present legislation. The answer was that NTL operate the network but it still belongs to BT so they cannot give the same or similar packages of digital TV/phones/internet as in other cabled areas of the UK. I have tried several ISP's to provide me with Broadband but they all say I am connected to Bradwell Abbey exch. and the BT line test say I am more than 5km away. I asked BT to give me a line test for suitability even if I am too far away as i suspected they were refusing me without trying for some financial / business plan reason. The person on the help desk said the "system" she was working from would not allow a test so I could not even be satisfied some one had tried and failed.

Just to round up, I have a friend on MIDDLETON who is  Broadband connected via NILDRAM who was told at installation time that in their experience BT would often refuse a connection for no apparent reason other than the 5km rule but tests showed low enough noise on the copper cables to allow a good broadband service.

[The BT rule is now set to 6km.]

Keep up the good work

Mr. Kirby