The Connecting Dartmoor and Exmoor programme is led by Connecting Devon and Somerset Partnership (CDS) with the support of Dartmoor and Exmoor National Park Authorities. It is being delivered by Airband Community Internet Company and will connect 5,800 homes, farms and businesses across the two National Parks using fixed wireless broadband technology and is due to be completed at the end of 2016, one year ahead of the Government’s 95% target.
Progress to date
Airband, the wireless broadband contractor for Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, has recently announced that their wireless transmitters are live on South West Dartmoor. Airband is now working with Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) and BDUK to finalise arrangements for the 'wholesale open access platform' that will make the service available to a range of internet service providers. The necessary testing of the systems should be concluded in a matter of weeks after which businesses and residents fed by the live transmitters can place an order.
When will the first areas be live?
It is expected that over 1,000 premises on Dartmoor will have access to a wireless superfast service, from the end of May 2016 - focused on the area to the South West of the moor. All parishes that are capable of receiving a wireless signal, will be contacted by the CDS team to inform them when they are live. Installation of the rest of the network is progressing well across Dartmoor, many now have planning permission and the remaining few applications are expected to be submitted soon. It was hoped that the build of the network would have been completed by the end of March; however the spell of wet weather severely hampered the build in some places. Some of the challenges experienced by the build teams included difficulties in getting the diggers and cherry pickers up steep hills in the wet conditions as well as having to locate poles where granite is found underground.
Where and When maps
The CDS team has been working with Airband to develop a specific map for Dartmoor and Exmoor. The map will be at a premise level and will also show the anticipated reach of the wireless signal across the two National Parks through the use of a ‘heatmap’. The map will be available on the CDS website and will not only show if your premises will be able to receive a service but will also give an indication of when it is expected to be live.
How to get a service
The public funding that has been provided to support the deployment of a new network across Dartmoor and Exmoor has a requirement attached to it that the network must be ‘open access’ - meaning that Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) must be given the opportunity to be able to provide a service to end users across the network, therefore providing choice to the end consumer.
A ‘Wholesale Access Platform’ the mechanism that provides the ‘open access’ to ISP’s has been in the development stage for a number of months and will be reaching its conclusion over the coming weeks. Once live, local and national ISP’s will be able to register with Airband Community Internet (Airband’s Network Infrastructure and Wholesale Retail arm) to provide a service over their wireless network. Once the network goes live, a range of providers, including Airband Ltd (Airband’s ISP retail arm), will be able to offer broadband packages to residents and businesses and we anticipate that the number of providers will increase over time.
When an area is live, residents and businesses should contact one of the providers offering a service on the network and ask for details of their packages. Depending on the provider, there may be a connection charge and a monthly fee that is broadly comparable to other fibre broadband packages.
Information on how to get connected will be available on the CDS and Airband websites to coincide with the launch of the network at the end of May.
For further information contact:
Matt Barrow – CDS Engagement Officer: matt.barrow@devon.gov.uk Jo Rumble – Communities Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority: jrumble@dartmoor.gov.uk
Dan James – Sustainable Economy Manager, Exmoor National Park Authority: DTJames@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk