Recall that, not long ago, our EDDC councillors, piggy-backing on the promises of the national Conservative Party, were boasting that, pretty soon, Devon would be covered with whizzily fast broadband coverage. That continued till it transpired that, in fact, it wasn’t going to happen.
In fact it was poor tendering on the part of councils dealing with the project which gave BT a stranglehold and a preference for dealing with the easy connections and not bothering with the, largely rural, infrastructure that cost more to put in.
Now we hear the shocking news that only 15% of Devon can receive 3G phone coverage. This is the coverage that would at least allow users to get their internet and email on their smartphones if they could not get broadband coverage. It isn’t 4G – that allows very, very fast coverage on smartphones and tablets, which is now available in many areas – but the slower, clunkier, now old-fashioned 3G!
Wouldn’t the millions of pounds being spent on flash new offices be better spent ensuring our medium and small businesses (including rural tourism) was in the 21st century?
Or will we operate a two-tier system: the nearer you are to the Science Park and the “Growth Point” the better you will be treated?
T“The most recent data published by the regulator shows that Devon has most limited mobile phone access of any local authority area in the South West. In just 15% of the county’s geographic landmass can a 3G signal be picked up with the “Big 4” networks, namely Vodafone, 02, Three and EE.
The parlous provision continues across the rural areas of the South West. In Cornwall, 3G coverage for all operators is 25% of Cornwall’s geography, 26% in Dorset and 38% in Somerset.
By contrast, in Plymouth, the biggest urban area in the Westcountry, coverage is 99% of the city, as it is with the capital and most built-up areas in the UK.”
Councillor Ian Thomas has taken this post to task in a comment saying the first paragraph is “not truthful” and wants it changed. This is an issue that may be judged subjectively, but this post below does look like boasting and all the people mentionec by name are (or were at the time) Conservatives:
East Devon Watch 
You are absolutely correct that the general telecommunications infrastructure, particularly in the rural areas of East Devon, is inadequate – few would dispute that – but ‘Boasting?’ – not my recollection, and I’m sure the suggestion would even cause amusement among ‘opposition’ colleagues….
I was ‘responsible’, from the limited East Devon District Council point of view, for ‘rural’ broadband until responsibility passed to a colleague in April 2013. I originally published this article, (which has been viewed over 33,000 times) in October 2013 http://www.trinitymatters.co.uk/index.php/component/k2/item/142-reasons-why-your-rural-broadband-will-not-be-superfast
This was one of a series of articles and presentations to council that followed a meeting I had, with Neil Parish and Hugo Swire, with Minister Ed Vaizey at the House of Commons in April 2012 (reported in my article here http://www.trinitymatters.co.uk/index.php/component/k2/item/546-rural-broadband-ed-vaizey-hears-our-concerns published May 2012 ) when I explained my concerns to the Minister and our MP’s, with the view that the programme would not deliver what was claimed… that has proved accurate…
The Trinity Broadband Group refused to sign the BDUK Non-Disclosure Agreement for the contract with BT, as a condition of discussion with DCC on the Combpyne/Rousdon and Uplyme situation. Both East Devon and South Somerset followed suit to become the only local authorities to take such a position.
I envisage that, on reflection, in the interest of accuracy and balance, you will agree that your initial paragraph is fundamentally untrue – and perhaps amend it accordingly?
Ian
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Which part of the first paragraph do you feel is untrue?
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Hey, you must do what you feel is right, but hopefully in the interest of balance and objectivity?
My comment referred to my personal ‘recollection’. If you are happy, on reflection and with the availability of additional information, that your original paragraph is accurate and appropriate – then of course you must stick with it, and we must agree to differ!
However, thanks for adding a further link to another article from my personal website, I hope your readers find these ‘musings’ of interest and value.
My additional article from May 2011, to which you refer in an amendment to your initial post, reflects an ‘early stage’ PR release from Central Government…. My personal comment at the base is the only reference to an EDDC Member.
The article further recognises the value of a good broadband service to deliver economic benefit for our Rural Areas (one of which I have the honour of representing, and which continues to suffer from very poor broadband) and confirms that the Devon and Somerset bid was one of only three which got the go ahead from BDUK at that early stage. I assume that none of us would argue that an announcement of significant investment in ‘Rural’ broadband for our area, was not reasonably seen at the time as being a good thing?
Without doubt this was and remains, excellent news…. However it predated, by some period, finalisation of how funds were actually to be used, and the procurement process applied to get there.
In common with all other Local Authorities (at County, rather than District level), Connecting Devon & Somerset (Devon CC and Somerset CC supported by Plymouth, North Somerset and Torbay) adopted the national procurement framework.
This effectively ensured that there could only realistically ever be one ‘winner’ – BT Openreach. This was when the ‘wheels came off’ for truly rural communities, as the FTTC, (Fibre To The Cabinet) technology of choice for BT is fundamentally unsuitable to deliver Superfast Broadband to such communities. This has been demonstrated since and is explained (I hope clearly) in my later articles in 2012, 3 and 4 (referred to in previous comment/posts)… This is now more widely recognised by the PAC, other MP’s, Parish Councils et al.
It’s up to you how you report broadband progress, but to suggest in February 2015, that;
“our EDDC councillors, piggy-backing on the promises of the national Conservative Party, were boasting that, pretty soon, Devon would be covered with whizzily fast broadband coverage. That continued till it transpired that, in fact, it wasn’t going to happen.”
….. based one ‘regurgitated’ Government PR release from 2011, posted on a single EDDC Member personal website, is perhaps a little bit ‘tenuous’ – to say the least?
I am not aware of anyone other than ‘muggins’, among East Devon District Councillors (of any political ‘flavour’) who wrote, spoke publicly or was interviewed by local media specifically on the subject of Rural Broadband between May 2011 and late 2012? – certainly none who ‘boasted’ about what you suggest…
Unless of course you know otherwise?
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“Government PR press release” … sorry minds unchanged.
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In the interest of being swift to correct my error in posting – para 4 should also have recognised reference to Cllr P. Skinner who, at the time, was EDDC Rural Broadband Champion. Apologies…
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As you wish…
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