|
Interested in lobbying BT for Broadband access?
Contact
us!
Neil's Email Trial
There follows an exchange that Neil had with Mr Jewell regarding the
Council's Wireless Pilot
It ended with a polite telephone conversation with Mr Jewell. Neil said
that he was revising my expectations to zero but would be grateful to be kept
informed of any progress his pilot might make.
Neil Cawley is a Parish Councillor for
Loughton.
Subj: RE: Broadband
Date: 16/09/2003 16:02:34 GMT Standard Time
From: Steven.Jewell@Milton-keynes.gov.uk
To: Neil Cawley,
AndyDransfield@HCIT.CO.UK
CC:
peter.bonham@milton-keynes.gov.uk,
Cec.Tallack@Milton-keynes.gov.uk,
Peter.Timmins@Milton-keynes.gov.uk
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Dear Neil,
Regarding progress, I am naturally keen to keep everyone informed and regret
that you feel you have not been given sufficient information. We are seeking to
provide a further update shortly but have planned the next information to be
accompanied by some practical steps that we need to take. I do hope you don't
feel this is a matter that should develop into a complaint, either with the
Council or elsewhere and I would ask for your patience just a little longer
while we continue to move things forwards.
This initiative, in relating to the provision of telecommunications services for
the public, is not strictly a Council service responsibility and we are
stretching our resources in order to seek to deal with a problem we perceive for
the MK area and under our overarching interest in promoting the well being of
the MK area. To date we have not received any money from SEEDA. SEEDA have
offered £25k in respect of this specific initiative and I anticipate we will be
invoicing them in the near future. The figure of £75k you refer to is Council
capital that has been set aside for use on the project as required. Thus far the
Council has not needed to expend much of that money as our partnership with NTL
means they are providing most of the investment required.
You query whether anything is being achieved on the ground but I think we were
careful in our recent letter to refer to 'September/October'. In fact at a
recent project review meeting the Council and ntl were pleased with progress and
I wish to assure you that a great deal of work is being undertaken and
completed. We are seeking to have our first beta testing (with a small number of
people being connected) in the very near future (in early September as the
recent letter indicated). Having proved the facilities for those people we will
then proceed with the triallists (200 people). However, as you know there can be
no guarantee of being accepted into the trial as each property will need to be
assessed for signal strength and a clear line of sight. Also we have collected
registrant details for considerably more than 200 people.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of my reply or any issue relating to your note
that you would like to follow up please feel free to contact me by telephone.
Regards.
Steven Jewell
Head of I.T
Milton Keynes Council
Tel 01908 254141
-----Original Message-----
From: Neil Cawley
Sent: 16 September 2003 11:25
To: AndyDransfield@HCIT.CO.UK
Subject: Broadband
Dear Councillor Dransfield,
Following our discussion in Loughton Parish Council meeting last night I wish to
confirm in writing my disappointment in not having heard about the progress of
the broadband scheme for Loughton although the MK council has received about
£75,000 from the Regional body to set up the scheme and put forward ambitious
claims in the recent Countryside Agency report.
Of course I applaud the council's ambitious plans, my concern is that the money
and plans seem to be in danger of quickly achieving nothing at all on the
ground.
As you know I am a barrister based in London and I often prefer to work from
home on papers if I can possibly avoid travelling and in these circumstances I
rely very much on the internet for accessing specialised legal sites and sending
completed drafts of work by e-mail. I often have to download or up-load material
from the net. So you can appreciate therefore that I have a professional
requirement for broadband which unfortunately is not commercially available in
Loughton.
As you know broadband makes the internet much faster and the time taken to
download a legal judgement from a site would be greatly reduced and thus save me
a great deal of time.
Despite having received a letter in August stating that the broadband service
would be progressing in 'early September' I have not heard of progress from the
MK council although I have requested a forecast.
I do think that this initiative is an excellent one and I would like to see it
progressed effectively - and of course I am concerned that so much money seems
to be in danger of producing nothing particularly when the recent 'Broadband'
report produced by the Countryside Agency made great claims for the scheme in
Milton Keynes. It would be a very great pity if these aims were not attained.
Councillor Cec Tulloch is the council representative to the SE Regional assembly
and if you think it will be helpful I will raise these concerns with himalso.
Thank you for your offer of assistance in this matter - broadband really will
help my work so anything you can do to bring it to fruition in Loughton will be
appreciated.
Neil Cawley
Links
Milton Keynes Broadband Home
Activities
If you live in Milton Keynes, and want Broadband, let
us
know!
|