Developing Broadband Provision in Perth and Kinross
January
2012
Currently not all places and people in Perth and Kinross have
the same access to broadband. This is due to the fact that Perth
and Kinross is a large rural area and it is uneconomic in some
areas to supply broadband and Next Generation Broadband (NGB) to
homes and businesses. This means if nothing is done, a significant
number of people will find it increasingly difficult to take
advantage of the internet and the wide range of online services
available.
What is Broadband and Next Generation Broadband?
Broadband Internet Access, often shortened to just
‘Broadband’ is the process of connecting to the
Internet and transferring a high volume of data at high speed
rates. Connections are measured in Kilo Bits Per Second (Kbps) or
Mega Bits Per Second (Mbps). The higher volume of data per second
is transferred the better the connection will be:
- Download connections below 2Mbps are not considered as
providing an acceptable broadband access to the Internet being
below the minimal Broadband connectivity.
- Download connections between 2Mbps and 24Mbps are currently
considered as acceptable in providing broadband access to the
Internet.
- Download connections over 24Mbps are considered as Next
Generation Broadband (NGB). However, there is no fixed definition
of NGB. The European Commission’s Digital Agenda sets 30 Mbps
as a minimum target. The UK Government has not yet set a target
speed, rather it aims to achieve the best NGB network in Europe by
taking into account four key indicators: speed, coverage, price and
choice. BDUK defines NGB as greater than 24Mbps.
How do I know my broadband speed?
Visit Broadband Speed
Test to know your broadband speed. The test will download a
file and will measure your download speed. Once the download has
finished, the broadband speed test will try to upload a file and
will measure your upload speed.
(Perth & Kinross Council is not responsible for the content
of any external sites)
How can I access broadband?
Broadband Internet Access can be via;
DSL: the copper telephone network with speeds limited to around
24 Mbps.
FIBRE: delivered through thin glass pipes known as fibre optic
cable, using waves of light. Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and Fibre
to the home (FTTH) are the two main methods of fibre broadband
deployment in the UK with speeds ranging from 40 Mbps to 100 Mbps,
with faster services being trialled.
WIRELESS: Wireless broadband is delivered through radio
waves. Developments in fixed wireless access are concentrated on
WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology.
WiMax technology is currently capable of speeds up to 75 Mbps,
whilst the latest versions under development could offer even
faster speeds.
MOBILE: Mobile broadband is delivered through the mobile phone
network. Current third generation (3G) mobile broadband services
offer broadband speeds broadly comparable with current fixed-line
services – around 7 or 8 Mbps. The fourth generation of
mobile broadband technology (4G) is currently being developed. It
is also known as LTE (Long Term Evolution) and can provide
bandwidth of up to 100 Mbps.
SATELLITE: Satellite broadband is delivered by a satellite in
orbit around the earth which communicates with a computer via a
satellite dish on the person’s premises. The capability of
current satellite broadband services is around 10 Mbps, however,
the next generation could potentially deliver speeds of up to 50
Mbps.
Where can I learn more about how to use the internet or getting
my business online?
- BBC WebWise –
a fun and easy to use beginner’s guide to the internet
-
BBC First Click (3.2mb PDF) - a really user-friendly BBC
publication that takes you through the computer basics.
Everything from switching on, to using the keyboard, surfing the
web and sending emails is covered
- Race online 2012 - a
site to inspire, encourage and support millions more people online
by the end of the year 2012.
-
Getting British Businesses Online: this simple to use online
tool will enable you to create a business website in fifteen
minutes – even with little technical knowledge. You get FREE
.co.uk domain for one year, FREE easy-to-update website and FREE
e-mail address @yourdomain.
-
Business Gateway: a site to help business to develop IT and
e-commerce.
(Perth & Kinross Council is not responsible for the content
of any external sites)
What is happening at UK and Scottish levels?
The UK Government aims to increase broadband coverage to 100% by
2017 at the latest and to improve broadband quality towards NGB
(30mbps as a minimum standard) by 2020. The Scottish Government is
also committed to improving broadband through its "Scotland’s
Digital Future" strategy with the ambition also to have
Next Generation Broadband available to all by 2020 with significant
progress made by 2015 (i.e. a minimum of 2mbps through whatever
medium). The strategy recognises the considerable challenges
in developing enhanced broadband coverage in rural Scotland where
there is a lack of 3G mobile coverage.
A budget of £530 million, managed by
Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) was announced in 2010 to improve
the network and mobile connectivity for rural Britain. This
funding is for the period up to 2015, with the potential for
additional funding of around £300 million to be made
available until 2017.
The Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to
develop a strategic national broadband plan for Scotland in order
to ensure a Scottish share. It recognises that improvements
need to be made in terms of both physical network infrastructure
and also the mobile network. It recognises that for rural
Scotland a mix of technologies is required – fixed lines,
mobile services and wireless networks – and Highlands &
Islands Enterprise / Scottish Enterprise, local authorities and
other partners will collaborate to deliver this plan for
Scotland.
In terms of funding for development in Scotland, this will be
available from BDUK (Scottish allocation £68 million share of
the £530 million) with potential from ERDF Priority 4
(possible £21 million) and Scottish Government (£35
million over the next three financial years announced in the
Spending Review, September 2011).
What is happening in Perth and Kinross?
A project is being undertaken to ensure that Perth and Kinross
capitalises on the national priority to increase broadband
provision and secures investment in infrastructure to support
sustainable economic growth and digital participation by our
communities. It is known that coverage is poor in Highland
Perthshire and other rural areas with a number of broadband "not
spots". In order to establish a more detailed picture for Perth and
Kinross, research into broadband provision was undertaken in 2011
to assess the position in respect of broadband speeds, domestic and
non domestic premises by postcode and supply infrastructure.
Perth has recently been announced as an NGB target by BT with
the fibre based upgrade due later in 2012. It is not yet clear what
coverage this will provide as this will be determined by the number
of street cabinets which are upgraded. The maximum possible would
be 34% of the total BT lines in the area. Virgin Media provide NGB
services to locations in Perth, Invergowrie and Scone. No other
locations in the region are planned for BT NGB although
enhancements to the existing copper based network have been
announced in respect of Crieff, Blairgowrie and Kinross. These
exchange areas serve around 4000, 5000 and 4000 premises
respectively with the improvements planned for spring 2012. In
December 2011, BT also announced upgrades to the Stanley and Bridge
of Earn exchanges to facilitate speeds of up to 20mbps.
Following this research exercise, the next stage has been to
develop a broadband plan with the overarching objectives of
improving broadband coverage, increasing broadband speed, and
increasing broadband bandwidth. This will build on local
requirements and set out the vision for Perth and Kinross and
ensure that the Council is on the front foot to take advantage of
funding in line with Scottish Government guidelines.
It is anticipated that the Scottish Government will announce its
strategy and procedure in early 2012 for supporting the improvement
of broadband provision for areas where the market alone will not
make the necessary investment. It is envisaged that regional
partnerships of local authorities will be established in order to
secure a share of Scottish Government funding (including the BDUK
allocation) as well as for European funding purposes. To this
end Perth & Kinross Council is in discussion with neighbouring
local authorities in the east and north east of Scotland for the
purposes of funding submissions. Subject to sufficient funding
being secured, a procurement process would be undertaken (possibly
in the Autumn 2012) to select a contractor to develop broadband
infrastructure across the area with a possible start on site in the
Spring 2013.
Timescale
February 2012 – Scottish Government publish Broadband
Plan and guidelines
Spring 2012 – Submission of Local Broadband Plans and
funding bids
Summer 2012 – Preparation of Procurement stage
Autumn 2012 – Procurement
End 2012 – Selection of contractors
Spring 2013 – Roll-out of broadband infrastructure starts
Further information
Further information on the broadband development programme will
be made in the coming months with details posted to this
website.
