REPORT TO PICKMERE PARISH COUNCIL
1st March 2022
AGENDA ITEM 9.8 PROPOSAL BY FREEDOM FIBRE TO PROVIDE FULL FIBRE BROADBAND SERVICE TO PICKMERE
1. REPORT
1.1 Freedom Fibre have recently contacted the Council to inform members, and thereby the local community, of their forthcoming proposals to provide full fibre broadband connections to individual properties in the parish.
1.2 The company partners with Internet Providers to optimise the UK’s fibre network utilising existing Openreach cabling/ducts/poles where possible. Currently they have partnered with Talk Talk but anticipate further partners we will be joining in the near future.
1.3 It is understood that the company will during the coming months be leafleting local residents/businesses about the potential to receive such a service. They aim as far as possible to use existing Openreach ducts and poles to connect properties, but there may be some circumstances in which a service cannot be provided except by installing new ducts or possibly poles, and indeed there may be some properties which may be too remote to be able to benefit from their service.
1.4 It is understood that the installation of the proposed infrastructure will in essence be ‘free’ but whether a service is provided to a particular property will depend initially on whether the property-owner wishes to pay for the new broadband subscription – in a similar way to current broadband provision.
1.5 Notes of a PowerPoint presentation on the project are appended for information.
2. RECOMMENDATION
2.1 That the report be noted.
Jack Steel
Clerk to the Parish Council