Rural network in a month

I'm sitting at the same kitchen table I sat at exactly one month ago in rural Lancashire, except this time I can see a whole new network out of the window (with binoculars!).

6 businesses had tried to find a route to getting broadband to their premises. The Marconi database doesn't appear to see them as 'disconnected' (on the wrong side of the digital divide) nor does the BT checker. But they most definitely were, and they have exhausted all avenues of moving into the 21st century, aside from plonking down a satellite connection, with all the issues that has. Until they realised that within a very few miles, a wireless broadband project was ongoing, and its champion - our very own Chris Conder (digital imager extraordinaire) - was our very able hostess for the CBN mentor weekend on 24th and 27th June.

During that weekend, Tom and Helen Anderson of South Witham Broadband and Adrian Wooster at ORB took a shufty round the area of "The 6" and stated, "No problem." As ever, this was a slightly simplified view of the situation, but honest, and a mere month later, the grant funding has been obtained, the network installed, and training has been given to local people to keep the network up thanks to NWDA the regional development agency.

12 families and businesses are now connected to a brand new wireless network that on Tuesday last did not exist except in all of our heads. CBN mentors have gifted over 180 hours of time and expertise to plan the network, consider all the issues, draw up the budget, co-ordinate the thinking and personnel, and help to reach the point where a SWAT team of CBN experts could be parachuted in to deliver what was required. Much more has been gifted by the volunteers at Wray Community Communications, from endless phone calls and visiting those involved, food, problem solving, negotiating with the funders, ironing out major and minor issues, firing up the community, budgets and finances, and much more. And that's just in the last 1 month - you should see what they've done in the last 18 for no apparent reward except seeing their community connected. An inspiration.

Over the next 6 months, case studies of the difference this has made to the businesses will be written and we hope that this can now be replicated for 'notspots' around the country. This _is_ CAN in a box - a community area network solution delivered painlessly, affordably, on target and to the benefit of many other businesses around the area.

I and others have had this vision for over 4 years, and after my involvement in a high profile pilot project of this type which did not deliver as expected, (others too have been and still are involved in CANs which aren't doing all they should), I am exceedingly proud and relieved that we finally seem to have cracked it. 10 and you're there has always been a model we at Digital Dales have cited as worth deeper consideration, (of no interest to the telcos or Govt/RDAs because it's 'too small' but funny how 10 can become 20, 30, 100, 1000......) and that has been delivered on more than one occasion around the country to give a sustainable, affordable community broadband network. But replicating it using grants, a SWAT team, full community involvement etc has proven difficult. Politics and personalities seem the biggest hurdle, the technology is bloody easy!

And now it's done. Another "10 and you're there" project but far more painless this time because the Govt has a digital strategy to deliver, and knows that ADSL isn't reaching far too many people nor is it future proofed. Chucking 30k at getting a few case studies to prove the obvious is a no brainer for the RDAs. Building a wireless network in a notspot is a minefield for them but when it gets results in a very short timescale.....and delivers a solution which is upgradeable, which crosses the digital chasm in a rural area, and which uses known expertise rather than expensive firms claiming they have a solution, well, the results are here to see for yourself as of Friday.

Next....................

If you can find a cluster of businesses who need broadband around you, we CAN do it. We can
* leave the control and ownership of the network with the community if you wish
* offer training on a wide variety of topics from network management through digital photography to internet marketing
* plough all benefits of the network back into the local community and its businesses and citizens through a social enterprise model
* Encourage local businesses to expand or develop services that benefit from the network
* build the best network for YOU
* support you long-term into the future through our own network (CBN) of around 360 CANdoers around the country - events, mentors, fora, 1-2-1 advice, training sessions etc etc.

Why not get in touch? We are the best value best network builders around because we've been there, done that and got the tshirts. We've learnt the hard way, by doing it and getting it wrong occasionally, and we're not afraid to admit that. And we know how much your business and your community matters to you because we live in rural communities too and all run SMEs. And all of us belong to a virtual community determined to get the rural areas of Britain connected to broadband.