Broadband Consultation
Broadband Consultation – Now Closed
If you completed our broadband survey – thank you..
We received 1,750 responses, which really helped us develop plans to help bring the benefits of broadband technology to even more people in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
Your information on the problems you are experiencing, broadband speeds, black spots etc – has really helped us zone in on the priorities for action in the area.
For business the internet is vitally important as a route to get into national and international markets.
Socially too the internet is opening up a growing range of new opportunities for people, from keeping in touch with family through to sophisticated sources of information, research and education.
And increasingly Staffordshire County Council is using the web as a channel for extending opportunity and choice for all.
So we now we are well on the way to finalizing our Local Broadband Plan. This will which provides a simple overview of all the issues you have highlighted and how we reckon we can help to solve them.
Your involvement has already had a massive impact helping us secure £7.4m from Government to get things moving.
Once the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK initiative (BDUK) officially agrees the plan, and we have got the cash, we can get on with buying in the expertise .
In the spring we will be talking to users again sharing our plans to ensure that we haven’t missed anything out. We will be in touch! And this is when we really need your commitment to ensure the project is a success.
Newsletters
Staffordshire County Council is working with partner organisations to improve broadband speeds and reliability across the county. You can read more details about the project in a newsletter available here:
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who is responsible for broadband in Staffordshire?
A: Broadband services are provided by a range of commercial suppliers. Some suppliers provide internet access as well as being responsible for the infrastructure over which broadband is delivered. Other suppliers offer internet access using other companies’ infrastructure. The number of suppliers available in different parts of Staffordshire varies, as commercial providers decide which areas they believe are commercially viable.
Q: What is Staffordshire County Council doing to improve broadband?
A: We have gathered evidence to help us to work with commercial broadband suppliers to enable them to improve their services. Our broadband survey which ran from June to December 2011 gathered essential evidence from Staffordshire residents and businesses. In order to get a better understanding of the issues in rural areas where the service appears to be particularly poor, we held a series of roadshows organised with Staffordshire Rural Hub, with over 350 people participating. We have applied to Government for funding to help with the costs of necessary upgrades, and received an allocation of £7.44m. The Government funding allocation is very welcome, but is estimated to be around one quarter of the funding required, so we are raising further funds. Later in 2012, we will negotiate with broadband providers to find the best ways to improve broadband for residents and businesses in the worst affected areas across the county. We will keep people informed on this web page as our work progresses.
Q: Why does my area not have fibre-optic broadband?
A: Commercial broadband providers decide where to invest in infrastructure, and usually only connect premises using fibre-optic cabling in larger urban areas where the population density makes it commercially viable.
Q: Why is the distance of my premises from the telephone exchange relevant?
A: Although some parts of Staffordshire do have fibre-optic cable, in most areas, broadband is provided using copper telephone lines. The further you are from the exchange, the weaker the signal will be. We are working with suppliers to see what they can do to improve signal strengths to people who live further from their exchange.
Q: Why does my connection speed vary during the day?
A: In areas where broadband is provided using copper telephone lines, as more people use the connection to the exchange at any one time, the speed will decrease. You may well notice that speeds decrease late afternoon, when children return from school and start using the internet.
Q: I’ve been told that there is a fibre-optic cable at the end of my road – why can’t this be used to provide me with faster broadband?
A: There may be valid reasons why better quality infrastructure can’t be used – it might be owned by a private company, or it might be that it serves a dedicated function such as very localised traffic management, and is unable to be connected to the infrastructure that provides access to the core internet network (this is known as backhaul). Where there are genuine opportunities to utilise existing infrastructure, we will be looking for broadband suppliers to find ways to do so. It is still important that commercial broadband providers believe it would be commercially viable to operate a service to your community.
Q: Who should I contact if I have a problem with my broadband service?
A: You should contact the company who provides your broadband service – you will have a contract with your Internet Service Provider, and they are responsible for resolving problems.
Q: In the meantime, what can I do to improve my broadband?
A: The connection from your premises to the exchange is a major factor – but there could be other reasons why your internet connection is slow. Some reasons can be very specific to your individual premises, your computer, of the way you use it. There are many websites and computing magazines which offer advice and suggestions.
Q: What can I, or my community, do to help improve broadband in my area?
A: There are different things that a local community can do. It is possible – though a major commitment – for a local community to set up its own broadband network. If your community has already thought in detail about establishing its own local network, you may wish to look into the Rural Community Broadband Fund, managed by Defra (http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/telecommunications_and_online/8661.aspx|) and we would recommend you read the documents carefully to gain a full understanding of the roles and responsibilities which your community would take on if successful. If your community is seriously interested and has identified someone to lead a project to look into the possibility, please let us know. Or, since one of the major obstacles for commercial providers in laying fibre-optic cable is gaining legal permission to cross people’s land, and the cost of digging trenches, if your community has a way to make this easier for the providers, please let us know.
If you have other suggestions as to how you or your community could help, please contact us at: sfbroadband@staffordshire.gov.uk||
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