The farmer who built her own broadband (1Gb/s Fibre)

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Dairyxox

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#207489 28-Dec-2016 13:52

I thought this story on the BBC was inspiring.

The lady's attitude is fantastic ("Just f'ing do it")

We dug it ourselves and we lit [the cable] ourselves and we proved that ordinary people could do it,

It wasn't rocket science. It was three days of hard work.

It would be good to see some Kiwis take up the mantle, and do the same (if feasible).

darkasdes2

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#1695831 28-Dec-2016 14:28

It shows what people power can do!

Technofreak

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#1695904 28-Dec-2016 16:47

Remember reading about this story several years ago. It certainly shows what can be done when someone shows some leadership and gets off their arse.

I can't see why it couldn't be done in New Zealand, after all we pride ourselves on the can do, No.8 wire and baling twine approach.

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sbiddle

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#1695905 28-Dec-2016 16:47

There is nothing really stopping rural people doing such a thing providing they have appropriate permission to pass through any public land.

DIY is the solution for many rural issues, but they all fall back on one issue - everybody wants everything for free.

It is also worth noting the UK project is still loss making.

tangerz

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#1695989 28-Dec-2016 21:52

I would imagine that in NZ, (given our topography etc.), that the most cost effective method of reaching remote area/residences like this *with fibre* would be to string it under power lines. Most residences have power connected so it would make sense to me that broadband came in the same way. I understand it would be more vulnerable to the elements and other damage and have a shorter lifespan than if it were buried, but would that be balanced out by reduced costs to begin with? Or would the lessened vulnerability to damage and the increased lifespan of being buried work out more cost effective in the long run?

In the end either way is likely to be VERY expensive.

sbiddle

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#1696053 29-Dec-2016 09:06

tangerz:

I would imagine that in NZ, (given our topography etc.), that the most cost effective method of reaching remote area/residences like this *with fibre* would be to string it under power lines. Most residences have power connected so it would make sense to me that broadband came in the same way. I understand it would be more vulnerable to the elements and other damage and have a shorter lifespan than if it were buried, but would that be balanced out by reduced costs to begin with? Or would the lessened vulnerability to damage and the increased lifespan of being buried work out more cost effective in the long run?

In the end either way is likely to be VERY expensive.

Stringing along power lines isn't always the cheapest option, and becomes a very political issue especially when you need to involve lines companies and RMA / resource consent for this.

DonGould

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#1696081 29-Dec-2016 10:34

Dairyxox: It would be good to see some Kiwis take up the mantle, and do the same (if feasible).

Guys we do, do this in New Zealand now.

Most of this sort of stuff just flies under the radar, but it does go on. Just last week I was talking with a guy who's working with a bunch of farmers to install fibre in the upper north island. Not log ago I was reading about a fellow Geekzoner who was chatting about a small fibre development he was leading in a new semi rural housing estate.

Dairyvox I agree with you, this story is inspriing. It's not the first time I've read about crowds in the UK doing this sort of thing either.

It's a great reminder that it really is very easy to move 1's around the place if you really want to.

But the UK isn't the only place this sort of excitement is happening.

This year www.gowifi.co.nz is the lead sponsor of the annual NZ Network Operators (www.nznog.org) confrence.

GoWifi by far isn't the only provider in the .nz market that's driving the delivery of 1's in to harder to reach areas but they are one of the bigger success stories in recent years, having grown from a small VAR in a place called Kaiapoi just out side of Christchurch to, in my view, the leading wholesale provider of wireless and networking technology in New Zealand.

Don't get me wrong here either, this isn't an advert for Gowifi, it's a presentation of what's happening in .nz right now to get 1's to harder to reach places.

Personally I'm a bit of a Gowifi fanboi because it's the place you go if you want to connect with the ragtag bunch of kiwi folk who are doing crazy projects, like the one the OP linked, right here in New Zealand.

I agree with Steve, the article points out that these guys in the UK haven't managed to show a profit.

That's not how we do things in New Zealand today. Most of the time, our "1's delivery projects" do run at a profit. There is lots of income to be made in this space for anyone who wants to step up to the plate in a serious way.

Personally I believe our challenge for the next few years isn't in the rural area any more, though there are still rural areas that need help, there are lots of great New Zealanders cranking out solutions to get 1's to every dark inner valley no matter where you are in .NZ.

The challenge is the growing digital divide, that I perceive, exists out there because of economic differences between rich and poor.

But even that gap is being cracked now in major cities. Personally I work with a growing number of land lords who simply bundle 'free internet' with rents as a sweetner to their tenants.

Providers like Spark/Skinny have also stepped up, recognising the challenges of delivering 1's via wire by rolling out 4G solutions in urban areas where they have enough existing tower capacity.

Fibre is not the only game in town, and it's not always the best solution either. It is the coolest solution for getting a massive amount of 1's somewhere fast, but it's not always an economic solution, as the OP's article points out.

OSI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model) layer 1 is about more than just fibre. It's about wireless, copper, fibre (just to name three, don't get me started about ethernet over paper clips or bongo drums - you can google those yourself!).

"OSI layer 1" is about making it possible to transport the 1's on your chosen media from place to place in a compatible way that your layer 2 application can work with the results.

I guess what I'm saying here is "don't let the layer 1 media slow you down". Don't blame a lack of fibre in your area slow you don't. Don't blame your lack of XYZ provider.

As a New Zealander, you can move 1's where ever you want them and there is any amount of smart Kiwi's doing just that every day, right here on Geekzone! Just reach out!

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wired

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#1696241 29-Dec-2016 18:15

sbiddle:
tangerz:

I would imagine that in NZ, (given our topography etc.), that the most cost effective method of reaching remote area/residences like this *with fibre* would be to string it under power lines. Most residences have power connected so it would make sense to me that broadband came in the same way. I understand it would be more vulnerable to the elements and other damage and have a shorter lifespan than if it were buried, but would that be balanced out by reduced costs to begin with? Or would the lessened vulnerability to damage and the increased lifespan of being buried work out more cost effective in the long run?

In the end either way is likely to be VERY expensive.

Stringing along power lines isn't always the cheapest option, and becomes a very political issue especially when you need to involve lines companies and RMA / resource consent for this.

The RMA issue may not be such an issue in future for providing fibre services to rural landowners.

As part of the Telecommunications Amendment Act which deals with the way consents are "deemed" for connecting UFB fibre connections, the Select Committee has asked for submissions on allowing Power Companies to install fibre onto rural power poles.

The current situation is that a power company can access an existing power line to maintain it but not to improve it, which is what would be happening if fibre was installed. More recent installations have a consent which allows for electricity but not for telecommunications to be carried on the pole line - except for a few rare consents.

The idea is that if the power companies are given this improved ability (I'm not sure it is a right) then they must provide service to the landowners that the power line crosses.

This was pushed by Northpower and seemvs to have gained support for the idea across other organisations such as Farmers Fed.

Last I heard there was lots of discussions about the length of the lead-in that must be provided for free and I don't know where that will finish up. If the length is not long enough I would expect that the farmers would be able to plough in a cable without any problems. There are stories around about how this works very well. Data light installed a fibre in a valley in NZ about 7 years ago using this principle.

There is an article http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1611/S00062/power-poles-may-carry-fibre-to-bush.htm that explains a bit more. I'm not sure that Enable has any roots in a power company as it is owned by the Canterbury City Council but Unison Networks in Hastings would benefit.

I agree that fibre is not always the best solution for improving Internet access in rural areas but it would be another good option.

Linux

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#1696243 29-Dec-2016 18:21

Bet they will still complain the WiFi is slow

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#1696245 29-Dec-2016 18:28

wired:
There is an article http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1611/S00062/power-poles-may-carry-fibre-to-bush.htm that explains a bit more. I'm not sure that Enable has any roots in a power company as it is owned by the Canterbury City Council but Unison Networks in Hastings would benefit.

Interesting read.

the mention of Unison is one to watch out for.

I expect talk of Unison will increase after the christmas/new years standdown period passes.

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webwat

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#1697885 3-Jan-2017 14:45

sbiddle:

tangerz:

I would imagine that in NZ, (given our topography etc.), that the most cost effective method of reaching remote area/residences like this *with fibre* would be to string it under power lines. Most residences have power connected so it would make sense to me that broadband came in the same way. I understand it would be more vulnerable to the elements and other damage and have a shorter lifespan than if it were buried, but would that be balanced out by reduced costs to begin with? Or would the lessened vulnerability to damage and the increased lifespan of being buried work out more cost effective in the long run?

In the end either way is likely to be VERY expensive.

Stringing along power lines isn't always the cheapest option, and becomes a very political issue especially when you need to involve lines companies and RMA / resource consent for this.

And you need to have contractors trained for working within proximity of power lines, meaning they probably have to be certified by the lines company and have special equipment.

Time to find a new industry!

pjamieson

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#1700083 7-Jan-2017 23:18

DonGould:

Fibre is not the only game in town, and it's not always the best solution either. It is the coolest solution for getting a massive amount of 1's somewhere fast, but it's not always an economic solution, as the OP's article points out.

OSI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model) layer 1 is about more than just fibre. It's about wireless, copper, fibre (just to name three, don't get me started about ethernet over paper clips or bongo drums - you can google those yourself!).

"OSI layer 1" is about making it possible to transport the 1's on your chosen media from place to place in a compatible way that your layer 2 application can work with the results.

I guess what I'm saying here is "don't let the layer 1 media slow you down". Don't blame a lack of fibre in your area slow you don't. Don't blame your lack of XYZ provider.

As a New Zealander, you can move 1's where ever you want them and there is any amount of smart Kiwi's doing just that every day, right here on Geekzone! Just reach out!

<face-palm>