Getting broadband for rural users - something that worked

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eme

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#10959 21-Dec-2006 23:32

Broadband for rural users

After waiting for a few years to get broadband in my rural area I found a solution that worked for me. Here is how it went:

I asked telecom what was stopping me getting broadband
Answer, your cabinet needs upgrading; there is no plan/justification to do this.
I asked telecom to send me the users for the cabinet in question
Telecom sent me a list of streets and street number
I suggested to telecom that I would promote broadband in my area by creating a web site with the street names and numbers on it and, asking for expression of interest from people in my area.
I also asked telecom to send me a letter declaring their intent to upgrade the cabinet if there was enough interest. I also told telecom that the letter would be part of the info on the web site.
The day after this discussion, instead of sending me the letter, telecom called me to say that my cabinet would now be upgraded by 1-Dec-2006.
They have missed the 1-Dec-2006 date, but we now have a new cabinet at our roadside, and telecom promised to commission ADSL before XMAS.
As I drive down my road I watch with interest much activity taking place
I told telecom it would be a nice Xmas present for our area, I think we are going to get it... (or soon after)

While I was doing all this I thought that this might work for other our rural communities.

grant_k

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#56131 21-Dec-2006 23:42

When I looked at this issue around 2 years back, Telecom were keen to help. Basically they told me if I could find around 10 neighbours who would sign up for broadband, they would upgrade the roadside cabinet to bring broadband to our area. Telecom offered to provide marketing and promotional materials for me to distribute around our area.

Then I discovered that we were more than 5km from the roadside cabinet, and that wireless broadband was about to be commissioned, so I didn't pursue it any further, but I would imagine Telecom are still keen to help in this situation if you can drum up enough support in your neighbourhood. No doubt the rules regarding number of users are a little different now, but there must be some similar arrangement available.

eme

103 posts

Master Geek
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#56133 21-Dec-2006 23:55

Would be nice idea if telecom or an ISP created a web site allowing rural users to register their interest to get broadband. Using the internet to capture national demand for rural bradband users would make sense to me..

you mention wireless, i have a wired country tower not far from me, this would have been my prefered option, but as in many rural situations line of sight is hard to establish as much of our country is hilly and full of trees..

grant_k

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#56134 22-Dec-2006 00:02

eme: Would be nice idea if telecom or an ISP created a web site allowing rural users to register their interest to get broadband.

This has been available for at least 5 years!

You go to the "Broadband Line Checker" (or whatever they call it these days) and enter your phone number. It gives you a report showing whether broadband is available in your area or not.

If NOT, you have the option to register your interest in getting broadband installed.

The Broadband Line Checker is accessible from various places on Telecom's web pages dealing with broadband (or it was the last time I looked).

Regarding line-of-sight for wireless, the way I got around this was by putting a weatherproof box on a pole located on a hill above our house (from where I could see the transmitting tower). Then I connected 100m of ethernet cable (supported on overhead poles) to the house. The weatherproof box houses the wireless broadband transceiver and a DC-DC converter.

eme

103 posts

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#56136 22-Dec-2006 00:12

Great idea with the 100m of ethernet cable to the hill/transceiver, it had occured to me to do something like that, but i lacked the pactical doing you did.

re the line checker, i did see that but once you entered your expression of interest it disapeared into a lack hole. some visibility of interest by area would probably encourage others to have a go.

bradstewart

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#56137 22-Dec-2006 00:17

Grant17:Regarding line-of-sight for wireless, the way I got around this was by putting a weatherproof box on a pole located on a hill above our house (from where I could see the transmitting tower). Then I connected 100m of ethernet cable (supported on overhead poles) to the house. The weatherproof box houses the wireless broadband transceiver and a DC-DC converter.

Very clever!!

grant_k

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#56163 22-Dec-2006 12:19

bradstewart: Very clever!!

Thank you Brad

.

I've enjoyed getting to know everybody on GZ during the past few months, even if we don't always see eye-to-eye.

That's what makes life interesting isn't it?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all

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FullyWired

6 posts

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#56165 22-Dec-2006 12:27

eme: Great idea with the 100m of ethernet cable to the hill/transceiver, it had occured to me to do something like that, but i lacked the pactical doing you did.

Ask them what the cost is of them doing it for you. They must have done it for others.

grant_k

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#56166 22-Dec-2006 12:39

FullyWired: Ask them what the cost is of them doing it for you. They must have done it for others.

In my case I was lucky: There was a high point with line-of-sight within the practical range of 10Base-T ethernet (usually quoted as 100 metres).

Others I have talked to in similar situations have needed to run power to the site and that's when things got expensive. They were quoted more than $5k (by the installation company) which included a WiFi link back to the customer's house.

richms

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#56176 22-Dec-2006 14:26

Why run power back when you could just put a deep cycle battery and some solar up on the hill? Seems much more reasonable then running 240 volts up the hill.

Richard rich.ms

grant_k

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#56177 22-Dec-2006 14:32

richms: Why run power back when you could just put a deep cycle battery and some solar up on the hill? Seems much more reasonable then running 240 volts up the hill.

In my case the wireless broadband transceiver takes about 12 Watts continuously. For the sites which also need WiFi, that will add another 5 or 10 Watts.

When you add that up and remember that the batteries have to keep the system going 24/7 even on winter days when there isn't much sun about, that means quite an expensive solar panel array. You also have to keep the batteries maintained and they will only last about 3 years on average. The people concerned wanted something that would just work year after year without any maintenance.

We definitely looked at solar, but ruled it out for the reasons above.