168 cabinets live to date

Over 34,111 properties able to connect to the fibre network

Topics in this edition:

• Local briefing events
• Connection Vouchers take off in Warwickshire
• Connectivity Voucher scheme extended to Solihull
• Support to address skills shortages
• ERDF bid submitted
• Questions and Answers

Local briefing events

Don’t forget that these start soon. Your chance to get the latest updates and to ask those questions you’ve been wondering about! All are welcome, and if you can’t make your local event then come along to one of the others.

Go to our Eventbrite page to book: http://www.eventbrite.com/o/csw-broadband-3997770867

We look forward to seeing you there!

Monday 18th May — 6:30-9pm — Rugby Borough Council CV21 2RR

Monday 15th June — 6:30-9pm — Shire Hall, Warwick CV34 4RL

Thursday 18th June — 6:30-9pm — Stratford District Council CV37 6HX

Wednesday 8th July — 6:30-9pm — North Warwickshire Borough Council CV9 1DE

Go to our Eventbrite page to book: http://www.eventbrite.com/o/csw-broadband-3997770867

Connection Vouchers take off in Warwickshire

Since the launch of the Broadband Connection Voucher scheme in Warwickshire on 30th March we now have the first set of figures. During April:

• 74 Applications were received
• 65 Applications have so far been approved
• The total value of vouchers approved £19,513

This scheme is clearly proving to be very popular. If you are a business, charity or other eligible organisation (even if you operate from home) then you could claim up to £3,000 towards the cost of your connections. Even if the fibre network hasn’t reached you yet, there may be other technologies that could be used. For more information about the scheme in Coventry or Warwickshire visit: http://www.cswbroadband.org.uk/the-project/broadband-connection-voucher-scheme

Connectivity Voucher scheme extended to Solihull

Solihull SMEs are now also encouraged to apply for up to £3,000 grant funding to support installation costs to new, superfast broadband connections, as part of the Government’s Superfast Broadband Voucher Scheme. The scheme, delivered by 50 cities throughout the UK, has now been extended to cover Solihull and is available to businesses on a first come, first served basis until 31 March 2016.

The Solihull scheme is administered separately from that in Coventry and Warwickshire, so for further information, or to apply for the scheme in Solihull, please see www.connectionvouchers.co.uk, call 0121 704 6151 or email business@solihull.gov.uk.

Support to address skills shortages

Warwickshire County Council is currently inviting bids for grant funding from businesses and education providers who wish to work together to improve the employability skills of young people and help businesses recruit them more easily. On May 20th, the council is launching the Warwickshire Employability Charter to enable businesses and education providers to demonstrate their commitment to working together and to identify potential partners. For more details go to:

http://us10.campaign-archive1.com/?u=322351363e317af78b473520d&id=1196b879c1&e=

ERDF bid submitted

CSW Broadband, with support from Warwickshire County Council’s Strategic Economic Development Team, have submitted an outline application for £3.8m of European funding towards the further roll-out of superfast broadband network infrastructure in Warwickshire. The funding, if approved, will provide 800 businesses as well as approximately 1,000 people who run a business from home or who work mainly from home with broadband access of at least 30 Mbps. We are still struggling to complete the online forms, but the bid has been accepted by email so we look forward to reporting how things progress.

Copy for your own website or newsletter

We regularly produce updates of around 350 words that can be used on your own website or in newsletters. There are a selection of articles available for download and you can select the most appropriate depending on where your particular area is in the rollout pipeline. Copy can be found at: http://www.cswbroadband.org.uk/downloads-resources/copy-to-use-on-your-own-website-newsletters-or-flyers

Questions and Answers

I am on the fringes of two differently coloured areas on the map. What does this actually mean for me?

The maps are indicative only and the areas are designated by postcode (in accordance with BDUK requirements). As the telecoms infrastructure does not follow postcodes it is not possible at this stage to give any more detail, and therefore colours on the map are not definitive. As the rollout commences we will be turning specific areas of the map green to show that superfast broadband is currently available, but we are advising that subscribers should check their landline or address to ensure that they are actually connected to the upgraded cabinet.

To check if the actual cabinet that you are connected to is in the rollout you should look at the BT checker: http://www.dslchecker.bt.com which will tell you which cabinet you are on. For the best results you will need to be able to enter a BT landline number for your property. If you do not have this then you can use your address, but it may be less accurate. Do not use the postcode checker as that covers too wide an area to be of any use. You can then check the specific cabinet on our Rolling 12-Month Plan which can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/onqf2v3

The BT checker will also tell you when your cabinet is ready to accept orders. The access is on a wholesale basis, which means that any ISP can use the infrastructure to provide their services. It works best if you can enter a BT landline number for your property, or alternatively use the address option. Don’t use the postcode checker as it covers too wide an area to be of any meaningful use. Don’t forget that you will need to check out broadband packages carefully to get the one that is right for you. For impartial advice go to http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-broadband

Please note that the map has been developed using data based on postcodes. This means that the colour coding on the map can only provide an estimated network coverage. Please use the DSL checker (www.dslchecker.bt.com) to establish which cabinet your property is connected to, and then check if it is currently in the rollout plan (http://www.cswbroadband.org.uk/where-when/rolling-12-month-plan/ ).

How do I interpret the information that the BT checker tells me about my cabinet?

It can be confusing! Just above the table you will see your telephone number, exchange and cabinet – if you have one. If there is no cabinet listed then you are on an exchange-only line.

On the table the main thing to concentrate on is the Downstream Line Rate, which is given in Mbps.

If the first item is shown on the left as FTTC (or FTTP) then you have a connection to the fibre cabinet and the speeds shown should be 24Mbps or above. If they are below this then you are connected to the fibre network but may be too far away from the cabinet at present to achieve superfast speeds with the current technology

You may also see ADSL 2+ or ADSL Max. This is an older technology that may deliver maximum speeds of 20Mbps but it uses only the old copper networks and is therefore not capable of reaching the higher speeds. Each Internet Service Provider usually installs equipment in the local exchange in order to deliver this service.

WBC Fixed Rate is similar to ADSL in that it uses the copper network, but is only available in some parts of the country. It means that the supplier puts their equipment further up the network and it may serve a number of exchanges. The speeds achieved are usually lower than with ADSL.

So, the best option is to have a fibre connection with superfast broadband – and that is exactly what CSW Broadband is trying to bring to our communities!

Many more frequently asked broadband questions can be found on our website at: http://www.cswbroadband.org.uk/faq

CSW Broadband now on social media – come and join the conversation

We are now on the major social media channels and are already creating a buzz. Join in for up-to-date information and an opportunity to influence how the project develops:

• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CSWSuperfastBroadband
• Twitter: https://twitter.com#!/cswbroadband
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/CSW-Superfast-Broadband-4403473

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