Brand New Forest Community Broadband Toolkit
Over recent months, Hyde Community Projects (covering the parishes of Hyde and Ellingham, Hardbridge & Ibsley) have been working to overcome the issue of poor broadband speeds and coverage in their community.
They have identified themselves as being in the ‘Final 5%’ or in other words, not scheduled for improvements either through market forces or government funded uplift before 2019.
As such, they have launched a community funded scheme to provide improved broadband to 475 premises making this the largest project of its type in the UK.
After many months of hard work and pledge collecting amongst local businesses and residents, they are approaching their required target, a target which would allow them to place their order and begin the work to improve local online access.
This work is seen to an exemplar of what can be achieved in the local community with hard work and a will to improve the existing infrastructure. At the same time it is recognised that there are other communities in the New Forest who are and will be without superfast broadband come the end of 2018 when the current government contracts ends. It is therefore recognised that as well as the Hyde Community Project initiative, others could follow a similar model.
In line with this, the Brand New Forest Community Broadband Development Group are working with other local organisations to produce a Community Broadband Toolkit. This will not be a technical manual but will instead be a simple step by step guide for creating and delivering a crowd funded solution.
This work is ongoing but will be launched on the New Forest District Council stand at this year’s New Forest Show in late July. The toolkit will be widely available including on the Brand New Forest website and will seek to ensure that those communities wishing to improve their broadband provision are equipped with the information to do so.
For further information on the Hyde project see www.hydecommunityprojects.org.uk
For further information on the production of the Toolkit please contact Matt Callaghan, Business Development Officer at New Forest District Council on 023 8028 5371 or email matt.callaghan@nfdc.gov.uk