general Q&As

1. What is Connecting Shropshire? Connecting Shropshire is the name given to the project bringing superfast broadband to areas where it isn’t economically viable for commercial companies to provide broadband. The project is centred on a contract with British Telecommunications plc (BT), to work in partnership with Shropshire Council to deliver faster broadband in the Shropshire Council area. The contract was announced on 27th March 2013.

2. How many premises in Shropshire will benefit from this project? There are about 145,000 premises in Shropshire (excluding and Wrekin). 93% will benefit from this contract plus BT’s commercial roll-out and will have access to fibre broadband by the end of Spring 2016 (c. 130,000 premises in total). The hardest to reach premises in the Shropshire Council area will also see improvements to their broadband speeds using a variety of alternative broadband technologies (such as advanced copper and satellite).

3. Why are not included in this project? Because Telford & Wrekin is a separate local authority and took the decision not to be part of this project.

4. How much of Shropshire was BT going to cover anyway under its commercial plans? BT has announced plans to cover 121,000 premises in Shropshire under its commercial roll- out in Shropshire in Baschurch, , Donnington, Newport, , , Stirchley, Telford (Wellington), Whitchurch, , , , Cuckoo Oak, Hollinswood and . (Note: the 121,000 includes Telford & Wrekin which are within the county of Shropshire but outside of the BDUK contract).

5. Will premises connected to exchanges already announced in the commercial roll-out but currently unable to benefit be included in the Connecting Shropshire project area? It is entirely possible that some of these premises could be included in the project area following the completion of surveying and planning.

6. How have you decided your roll-out plan? The aim of the Council and BT is to achieve the best possible broadband coverage for the Shropshire Council area for the resources available and guarantee value for money. The Connecting Shropshire Rural Broadband team and BT are developing a rollout strategy. This is based on engineering logic taking into account many factors including local demographics and geography, planning requirements, the existing engineering infrastructure and the availability of suitable technologies to provide a service. It’s not possible with a programme of this size to plan every area at the same time so some areas will be enabled before others. The team plans to keep you regularly updated as our plans and phased deployment evolve.

7. When will my area get superfast broadband? Announcing the contract on 27th March 2013 signals the start of a major engineering project. We will be rolling out a whole fibre network across a large area and often difficult terrain, not flicking switches in exchanges. Following contract signature there is a 6-9 month period of intensive planning and surveying, which will enable us to refine and confirm deployment plans. We will share information on deployment as these plans are confirmed. The project is due to be completed by the end of Spring 2016.

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8. When will I get broadband? See answer to previous question.

9. Why are you spending money upgrading the towns? At the start of the procurement process Shropshire Council carried out an open market review to identify areas that would not be covered by commercial roll-outs. This project has been developed to improve broadband speeds to all these premises – whether in towns or more isolated communities that are currently unable to get broadband.

10. Why can’t I be told when I will get upgraded? This is a major engineering project. We will be rolling out a whole fibre network across a large area and often difficult terrain, not flicking switches in exchanges. Following contract signature there is a 6-9 month period of intensive planning and surveying, which will enable us to refine and confirm deployment plans. We will share information on deployment as these plans are confirmed. The roll-out is due to be completed by the end of Spring 2016.

11. Will the network be open to competition? Yes. The network is being built by Openreach, BT’s local network business, and will be open to all communications providers on an equal basis, enabling the people of Shropshire to choose the provider and broadband package that best suits their need.

12. What’s the current average broadband speed in Shropshire? According to Ofcom, the County’s average downstream speed is currently 8.2Mbps whilst 17.1 % of premises receive less than 2Mbps.

13. How fast will my broadband speed be? The speed will vary by property and will depend on a number of factors including the distance you are from the exchange or street cabinet, geography, and the wiring within your home or business.

14. How competitive was the procurement process? Following an extensive engagement and robust procurement process, which has been managed in accordance with the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) national Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) framework, British Telecommunications plc was selected as Connecting Shropshire’s preferred partner.

15. When will the project start? The project started as soon as the contract was signed (27th March 2013). The first stage will be intensive planning and surveying. Deployment will begin later this year.

16. When will the project end? By the end of Spring 2016.

17. How much money has the supplier contributed to the scheme? BT is investing £8.6m into the project over 10 years, making it the single biggest investor. Shropshire Council is contributing £8.2m and has secured £7.84m in additional funding from central Government (BDUK). The total value of the contract is £24.64m.

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18. Who will be responsible for making decisions on where and when? This is a partnership. Shropshire Council and BT will continue working very closely together to ensure the best possible result for the people of Shropshire for the money available. An agreed and accountable governance process is being established for strategic decision making. Operational decisions will be undertaken by the Partnership Programme Office which will be in Shrewsbury.

19. What happens if I don’t get superfast broadband? All premises in the project area should benefit from this project, either by getting fibre, or from improved broadband speeds over alternative broadband technologies.

20. Why are you doing the areas that already have a good speed of broadband before the rural remote areas? The Council did not set any priorities as part of their procurement process. This was to ensure that the BT could provide an optimal plan for the money being invested. The objective is to provide the best possible outcome for all our communities for the money available.

21. My community doesn’t want to wait until the end of the programme. What can we do about this? We appreciate that everyone will want the benefits of a faster broadband connection immediately. This is a major infrastructure project that requires a ‘start’ and an ‘end’. We will ensure that all communities are kept informed of the project process throughout its duration. Please ensure you keep updated on our website – connectingshropshire.co.uk

22. Is there any more money available to upgrade the areas that will only get a basic level of broadband? In order to continue to meet the Council’s aspirations for 100% next generation access (NGA) and as much superfast broadband as possible, additional funds will need to be secured to support this ambition. The Council is currently working with all stakeholders to secure additional resources. We understand that there could be a further £300m of funding made available in the next parliament to extend superfast and NGA coverage.

23. Did our registrations for faster broadband make any difference? It is very helpful to know where there is demand for improved broadband services and this information helped to inform the Council’s decisions during the procurement process. It will also be useful for communications providers to understand where there is real demand and where to focus their marketing activities.

24. Why can’t we have wireless instead of waiting for fibre? BT and Shropshire Council believe that fibre based broadband offers the best solution for Shropshire premises in terms of speeds, reliability and value for money. We will continue to review all available technologies through the term of the contract.

25. Why don’t you spend the money on 4G? BT and Shropshire Council believe that fibre based broadband offers the best solution for Shropshire premises in terms of speeds, reliability and value for money. 4G was not considered a compatible solution under the terms of State Aid and could therefore not form the core of any solution. It is likely that 4G provision will also not provide the level of coverage necessary in rural areas of Shropshire, and capacity within 4G cells means it is unlikely to be able to offer the same capability as a fixed line solution.

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26. What is the Council going to do for me until I get broadband in 2015/16? The Council will continue to work with its Broadplace network and libraries to support communities. The Council is also exploring all available options that would provide interim support to communities who do not have a broadband connection whilst the project is rolled out.

27. Why are you rolling out Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) instead of Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)? We are deploying a mix of both but the majority will be FTTC. The cost of deploying FTTP to 93% of premises in Shropshire would be prohibitive. BT is delivering the network in the most efficient manner possible to ensure the greatest level of coverage for the available funding and guarantee value for money.

28. Are you doing businesses as a priority? Shropshire Council has not prioritised any areas in the project. Please see earlier response (Q20). We do however recognise the importance and contribution of local businesses to the local economy and will work within phases, wherever possible to assist businesses to get connected.

29. You said I’d get 2mbps but whenever I check my speed it is lower than this? Speeds within premises are affected by a variety of factors including internal wiring, the age of your computer, the type of router you use and the number of applications you are running.

30. How is it that I am getting fibre but my speed is not superfast? By the end of the project, 93% of premises will have access to fibre, and 87% will have access to speeds of 24Mbps and above (note: both these figures are the result of this project plus commercial roll-outs). Some premises will be connected to fibre but have speeds of less than 24Mbps due to factors including the distance to their street cabinet. Additionally, some premises connected to fibre will have speeds in excess of 24Mbps as FTTC delivers speeds of up to 80Mbps.

31. Why are you doing the most rural areas (infill) at the end of the project? The project is being planned taking into account many factors including local demographics and geography, planning requirements, the existing engineering infrastructure and the availability of suitable technologies to provide a service. It’s not possible with a programme of this size to deploy in every area at the same time so some areas will be enabled before others. As communications technologies continue to evolve rapidly it may be that we can provide a better service to the hard-to-reach premises at the end of the roll-out than we would be able to deliver if we targeted them sooner.

32. Which exchanges will not get fibre? It’s too early to say – we are just beginning the planning/surveying phase. With the evolution of fibre and broadband technologies we may be able to extend the reach of fibre in the future.

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33. You mention trialling technologies in the press release – what do you mean? BT and Shropshire Council want to ensure the area benefits from the best possible broadband for the money available. Therefore BT will be looking to trial new technologies to see if they will help the project achieve this goal.

34. What if my property is on the border and is served from an exchange in a different Local Authority? We anticipate that this will apply only to a very small number of premises. The thorough governance we are setting up to manage this programme will ensure that public funds secured to benefit premises within Shropshire will indeed be spent on improving broadband to premises within the project area, whether they are served by exchanges in Shropshire or neighbouring counties.

35. How can I get involved in the project? The Council already has links to local Town and Parish Councils. They will continue to build stakeholder engagement through these links and will also reach out to communities who want to get involved as ‘digital champions’.

36. What is a Digital Champion? The Council will be seeking volunteers who will provide informal advice, information and support to adults in their local community who either want to get online and learn how to use a computer for the first time, or improve their confidence with the basics. Volunteers will also be asked to help promote this service in their community by putting up posters and leaflets in suitable locations, e.g. doctors surgeries, church halls, and local notice boards. All such promotional material will be provided by the Connecting Shropshire team.

37. What is superfast broadband? Superfast broadband is defined as next generation access (NGA) with speeds in excess of 24Mbps by the UK Government.

38. What does next generation access (NGA) mean? NGA describes a significant upgrade to the existing telecommunication access network by replacing some or all of the copper cable with optical fibre. Since fibre can transmit data quicker over longer distances NGA is important for faster broadband internet access. NGA will ensure that a long term infrastructure is embedded in Shropshire to support businesses, residents and communities for generations to come.

39. Why can’t I get Fibre? The challenge of connecting properties to fibre is much greater in rural areas due to the lower population densities and the more demanding geography and topography – the combination of which makes the project more difficult. Shropshire Council and BT are aiming to deliver maximum value for money for all communities and that means in some areas we will need to look at alternative technologies.

40. As a part of this programme, when will the first exchange be enabled? Our best estimate is March 2014.

41. We understand that the roll-out of superfast broadband is being phased. How many phases will there be? The current plan has nine phases.

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42. Where do I go to get more information? We are continually updating this website so please check regularly. If you have any further queries, please make contact:  by email at [email protected]  on the internet at http://connectingshropshire.co.uk/  by telephone at 0345 678 9000  via your Shropshire Councillor  via your parish or town council

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