Meeting documents

The opportunity is being taken to scrutinise the progress being made in implementing the County Councils’ Digital Infrastructure Strategy, what this entails, how it is applied and the progress being made in making connectivity improvements.  A report by the Service Director – Economy (attached) sets out what successes there have been to date, how these have been achieved and by what means.

 

Of particular importance is to know how improvements might continue to be delivered, with a specific view to identifying solutions to meet the needs of those currently having limited, little or no reception and to understand what is being done to achieve this.

 

To provide some context of the Strategy and programme for delivery, the officer’s accompanying presentation - to the Director’s report - will be in dispersed with some short, case study videos of what has been achieved and how this has been done.

 

As part of this process, the opportunity is being provided for service providers and users to join the meeting to explain to the Committee:-

 

·         the part being played in providing Superfast Broadband and connectivity to Dorset residents and what is being done to reach those areas which have been identified as having limited, little or no reception and

·         what connectivity means to those receiving the service, how their needs are being met and what the Strategy might be able to do for them in improving that service.

 

So that the management of this item is structured, invitees have been allocated the following timings for the Committee to hear what they have to say about the Strategy and for members to ask questions of them:-

 

Services Users (up to 10 minutes each)

·         Stephen Earwicker – Kimmeridge resident and recipient of VoIP connectivity option

·         Carol Matthews – Charlton Down resident and recipient of Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP)

·         Representatives of The Thomas Hardye School  - on their connectivity experiences

·         Contribution from other rural recipients of broadband, if practicable

Service Provider (up to 20 minutes)

·         BT/Openreach – on the practicalities of the rollout, what this entails and how this is being done

 

So as to stimulate debate and optimise the session, the Chairman encourages members of the Committee to give some thought as to what they might be minded to ask those attending on the day - by way of a short Panel Question and Answer session - in order to have a better understanding of how superfast broadband is being delivered across the county and what part the Committee might play in enabling this.

 

To assist in a better understanding of what progress is being made and how this is being done, the attached hyperlinks might be of benefit:- 

https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/superfast

https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/broadband/about?formid=1474910

https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/broadband/case-studies

https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/broadband/better-broadband-scheme

https://news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/2016/08/30/dozens-more-communities-to-benefit-from-superfast-dorset-fibre-broadband-roll-out/

 

https://news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/2015/06/15/high-speed-fibre-broadband-available-to-3000-more-dorset-homes-and-businesses/

 

Arising from discussion at the meeting on 12 October 2016, the Committee took the opportunity to scrutinise the progress being made in implementing the County Councils’ Digital Infrastructure Strategy, what this entailed, how it was applied and the progress being made in making connectivity improvements.  The report by the Service Director – Economy set out what successes there had been in making improvements, how these had been achieved and by what means. The attention of the Committee was drawn to the progress made to date of the Council’s Superfast Dorset Programme which provided gap funding to support the rollout of broadband in areas not deemed commercially viable by infrastructure providers. 

 

The Committee was informed that the Strategy was designed to set out the overall vision and approach to transform Dorset into a digital economy in order to fully realise strategic benefits of economic growth, digital inclusion, transformation of public services and opportunities for individuals and communities across Dorset. The Strategy included reference to the speed and coverage of broadband, and the opportunities for Mobile 4G/5G to play a part in this.

 

Of particular importance to the Committee was to know how improvements might continue to be delivered, with a specific view to identifying solutions to meet the needs of those currently having limited, little or no reception and to understand what was being done to achieve this.

 

As part of this process, the opportunity was being provided for service providers and users to join the meeting to explain to the Committee:-

 

·         The part being played in providing Superfast Broadband and connectivity to Dorset residents and what was being done to reach those areas identified as having limited, little or no reception; and

·         What connectivity meant to those receiving the service, how their needs were being met and what the Strategy might be able to do for them in improving that service.

 

The invitees were given the opportunity to address the Committee so that they might hear what they had to say about the Strategy and for members to ask questions of them in order to gain a better understanding of how superfast broadband was being delivered across the county and what part the Committee might play in enabling this.

 

The Committee was being asked to assess the progress being made and how improvements could continue to be made for accessibility to broadband. It was considered that the benefits to Dorset from this could well lead to the generation of significant economic and social prosperity. The Committee recognised that delivering the Superfast Broadband initiative was integral to the delivery of services in a more direct, flexible and accessible way.

 

In setting the scene, the Cabinet Member for Economic Growth explained how important connectivity was considered to be for the prosperity of Dorset and having the means to access it was considered to be essential. Giving all residents the same opportunity to access it was an obligation the Council was determined to fulfil and all was being done to achieve this.

 

The Committee first heard from Grant Munn of BT who explained what had already been achieved, including what had been done to extend coverage to hard to reach communities. He outlined what might yet be able to be achieved and the technologies available in doing this; the areas of coverage and the speeds associated with this; and what limitations there were in being able to achieve all that they might.

 

Members were informed what Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) was able to achieve in comparison to Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) and Mr Munn showed how the relationship between the cabinet and the premises determined what broadband speeds were available to an individual property. He explained the technologies associated with this and how these were being applied, the process for deliverability and what practicalities there were. Innovations in technologies to improve how broadband could be delivered were constantly evolving, with wireless and satellite technologies playing a significant part.

 

He considered that communities should be encouraged to contribute towards the means of initiating schemes via the Community Fibre Partnership arrangements available to them and felt that this approach was critical in any successful delivery.

 

Overall he confirmed that BT remained committed to working in partnership with Superfast Dorset to ensure the maximum coverage possible was available.

 

The Superfast Dorset Senior Programme Manager outlined progress being made in the delivery of the Superfast Broadband Programme and what this entailed. This included what Superfast Dorset had already been able to achieve; what might be able to be achieved and, critically, what was being done to extend coverage to hard to reach communities which had limited, little or no reception. The Committee’s attention was drawn to the practicalities and technicalities of delivering the project and what was being done to improve accessibility to it.

 

The Superfast Dorset project aimed to deliver the most appropriate Superfast broadband solution practicable, maximising benefits in a cost effective manner across the business and domestic community where it was not deemed to be otherwise commercially viable. The Strategy provided a basis for the successful delivery of superfast broadband. In particular, it was considered that the work of the Committee would help to play a significant part in transforming the strategy into the delivery of outcomes.

 

The relationship between BT, BDUK, Superfast Dorset and the County Council and the part each played was outlined; along with the technologies involved; the areas of coverage and speeds associated with this. How the Council played its part in facilitating accessibility and delivery was drawn to the Committee’s attention. The current Superfast Dorset contract had now reached 97% of the premises in Dorset, including Bournemouth and Poole. Reaching the final 3% and identifying solutions for their connectively remained a considerable challenge.

 

Officers reported that since January 2016 work had been taking place to identify "not spots": areas that would still be left without access to superfast broadband once all current activity had been completed. Given that the Government had made a commitment that universal access to the internet was by right - comparable to any other utility - and that this should be fulfilled by 2020, the Council was committed to facilitating that commitment.

 

The contract which had been entered into with BT in 2013 was designed to provide a step change in the capability of individuals and businesses to access fast and reliable broadband and in the means of delivering this. Whilst this had proven to be successful, it had been recognised from the outset that a small proportion of premises would be unable to access superfast broadband for the funding level which had been agreed and that there would have to be alternative means of achieving this. Given that the contract with BT was now nearing completion and having achieved as much as it already had over the 4 years, the need to identify alternative means was becoming more critical. However as future contracting arrangements were currently in the process of being considered, little more could be said about this at this stage.  

 

As an example, officers explained what could be achieved at Thornford and Thorncombe and what obstacles still prevailed in such places. Improved mapping for each community/parish was assisting considerably in identifying where "not spots" occurred and officers emphasised that it was critical how this data was interpreted to ensure focussed activity was targeted appropriately.

 

Flexibility in modelling was essential to ensure that the means of delivering what was right for a particular community was practicable. Officers considered it crucial that local communities were engaged in the process to determine their ambitions and aspirations. Officers considered it fundamental for broadband provision to be accommodated within the construction design for any new housing development and developers should be made aware of this aspiration.

 

How the Programme was funded was explained including the part both the voucher scheme and the Better Broadband Subsidy Scheme played in the process and how they could benefit accessibility to broadband. These schemes provided the basis to enable individuals and communities to gain access to progress schemes in their own right that might not otherwise be readily available to them. Critical to the success of the Programme was take up and how this might be best encouraged. It was hoped that once the benefits were seen, then take up would escalate. It was seen to be in the interest of all that the greater the rate and volume of take up, the more funding would be available for investment back into the Programme via the "Gainshare" initiative.

 

Officers reaffirmed what investment the County Council along with other public bodies, in partnership with BT, were making in fulfilling their commitment to rolling out broadband via the Superfast Dorset Programme.

 

The Committee acknowledged the progress being made and the processes involved in delivering it. However it recognised that economic, commercial and technological barriers remained. Nonetheless, the Committee fully understood the socio-economic benefits that connectivity brought.

           

The Committee heard from Stephen Earwicker who explained that, in his time as a GP, there had been a need for access to a reliable internet connection, which did not exist when he settled in Kimmeridge 11 years ago. In order for him to be able to effectively fulfil his duties, he realised - along with the community as a whole - that improvements were necessary. He explained the inadequate arrangements previously experienced and what action had been taken to rectify this. However recently significant improvements had been made in that an independent provider, VoIP, had arranged for the village’s reception to be beamed across Weymouth Bay from Portland, with discrete dishes channelling this into homes. Given that The Etches Collection - Museum of Jurassic Marine Life had recently opened in the village, this had attracted interest for improved broadband coverage. The benefit this had brought to the community was immeasurable.  The Committee considered that, where practicable, more communities should adopt this approach, in identifying a distinct anchor feature to primarily benefit from improved broadband provision which might, in turn, serve to attract commercial interest for improved provision to benefit all.

 

Carol Matthews addressed the Committee to highlight what benefits she had seen at her home at Charlton Down as a result of FTTP being installed. Significant improvements had now been made to the internet speed accessible to her, this having a positive effect on what she was able to readily access.

 

Archie Ruddick and Jordan Moon explained what limited access they had to online opportunities where they lived in Moreton and Piddlehinton respectively. This limited coverage, both for internet and mobile phone usage, denied them opportunities that were available to other students at the Thomas Hardye School to study and socialise. With an expectation that coursework and homework could be readily accessible and completed on line, they were disenfranchised by the current arrangements, not least because their transport arrangements prevented them from using of the school’s IT suite at the end of the school day. They considered that a more readily available and reliable service would be of considerable benefit to both of them. Jon Dean confirmed that there was a general expectation that pupil’s homework would be accessible on line and sympathised with the situation in which the boys found themselves.

 

The Committee was informed by officers that it was hoped that both Moreton and Piddlehinton would in the near future benefit from improvements to digital accessibility and as a means of going some way to identifying a practical solution in the first instance, the Service Director – Economy agreed to investigate what could be done to better manage their travel arrangements to fit in with the boy’s ability to use the school’s IT after school hours. Officers also agreed to take the opportunity to look at how the school’s internet grant scheme could be applied to see if it was possible to address the pupil’s need by this means. 

 

Finally, Neville Loder, tenant at Dairy Farm on the County Farms Estate, addressed members about what accessibility to broadband meant for the way in which he was able to manage his farm. Whilst he had access to basic broadband, his experience was that this was limited, unreliable and intermittent. As well as the practical application for how the farm was run on a daily basis and in addressing rural isolation, having access to reliable superfast broadband was now a fundamental requirement in how farming businesses were managed, with this being essential in how submissions were made to DEFRA. Access to market information and how produce was bought and sold was equally necessary. Equally important to Mr Loder in how the farm was run was the need for accessibility to a strong and dependable mobile signal for communication purposes.

 

So as to go some way to addressing the issues raised, given the importance of the rural economy to the prosperity of Dorset, the Committee agreed that the Chairman of the County Farms Liaison Panel, Councillor Hillary Cox, should write on their behalf to DEFRA drawing their attention to the issues raised and stating that if there was an expectation that returns to DEFRA should be made on line, then the means of submitting this should be improved.

 

The Committee then took the opportunity to discuss the merits of the progress being made and agreed that, in principle, every effort should be made to facilitate the provision of Superfast Broadband throughout the County, which demonstrated the  Council’s continued commitment towards this.  The importance that universal provision of Superfast Broadband to the future economic and social prosperity of Dorset was acknowledged.

 

Whilst appreciating the principle of the Strategy and what it was designed to achieve, the Committee considered that there was now the need to identify more readily how outcomes could be delivered and by whatever means was possible and practical. As such an update was requested of their meeting in June 2017 on what further improvements were being made within the Programme and, critically, on how 4G/5G mobile phone coverage could be improved and signal coverage maximised.

 

Members appreciated the commitment being made to try to identify a means by which Superfast Broadband provision might be made more readily accessible to hard to reach communities within Dorset and how this might be delivered. Accordingly, the County Council was obliged to investigate the practicalities of delivering a Superfast solution, either by conventional, terrestrial means or by alternative technologies and suppliers.

 

The Committee empathised with communities, individuals and businesses who continued to operate with inefficient broadband and it was an ambition that fast and reliable broadband should be made available to all. It was recognised that prosperity in Dorset could be achieved through economic growth, with the most effective and efficient way of achieving this being by investing in digital infrastructure and skills. Accordingly, the Council remained committed to successfully providing the means by which greater accessibility to Superfast Broadband might be achieved and the value this brought.

 

Members thanked all those who had contributed to the debate. How the meeting had been conducted reflected a positive approach that was designed to be more dynamic in its delivery process so that members could have that better understanding of what connectivity meant to residents of Dorset and what was being done to achieve this. They appreciated having the opportunity to hear from those members of local communities direct in telling their own broadband stories.  Hearing from a cross section of Dorset residents on what they considered worked well, what worked not so well and what improvements could be made was fundamental in their understanding of what outcomes might be realised. Hearing how residents of rural communities had worked direct with third parties to realise their own small-scale community broadband schemes was enlightening and showed what could be achieved.

 

By introducing this participatory approach, Councillors were pleased to able to engage directly with members of the community to hear what difference had been made - or not - to their lives.  This approach was seen to bring about greater accountability for outcomes to the democratic process so as to delivering the most appropriate solutions for the people of Dorset.

 

Given what they had heard, the Committee agreed that the following outcomes should be actively pursued:-

• That broadband provision was fundamental within the construction design for any new housing development and developers should be made aware of this aspiration.
• That critical to the success of the Programme was to encourage take up and how this might be best pursued.
• That the Chairman of the County Farms Liaison Panel, Councillor Hillary Cox, be asked to write to DEFRA drawing their attention to the issues raised on behalf of the farming community about improved access to broadband to meet DEFRA’s own expectations.
• That the Service Director – Economy investigate the practicalities of how school travel arrangements might be managed to meet the needs of those wishing to access facilities after school.
• That the Committee receive a report updating on how 4G/5G mobile phone coverage could be improved and signal coverage maximised and what further improvements were made to the superfast programme.

 

Resolved

That the Superfast Dorset Programme and Strategy continue to be endorsed and the actions set out in bullet points above be actively pursued.

 

Reason for Decision

In the interests of enabling economic growth and to engage with the residents of Dorset in identifying practical solutions and positive outcomes.