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Doncaster adds £2 million to Digital Region pot
Tuesday 11 November 2008 09:46:51 by Andrew Ferguson

The Digital Region project in Yorkshire is an ambitious £112m project to lay fibre optic cable through out the region with the aim of boosting the local economy and enabling next generation access speeds for consumers.

The council in Doncaster is making a £2m loan towards the cost of the project, which it is thought will involve 5,000 jobs across South Yorkshire in the ten years it will take to complete, including 75 at the operational centre in Doncaster.

"This is about South Yorkshire getting a competitive edge. If we can deliver this we will be the first sub region to get this. That's why my board have supported it.

We don't want to continue playing catch up with the South East."

Trevor Shaw, of Yorkshire Forward

The figure of 97% of the Doncaster population having access to this next generation network on paper looks impressive, but given the annoyance with bodies like BT when coverage is even higher, local councils may find residents complaining loudly if their property happens to be in the 3% without access.

[ Topic: Broadband | 14 comments | link to this item ]
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Comments

Posted by tikka69 about 1 year ago
As I live in Doncaster part of me wants to be optimistic about this, however until I see the fibre being laid near where I live I won't be getting too excited.!
Posted by herdwick about 1 year ago
can't imagine this, a public sector IT project late and overrunning its budget. One has to laugh at the irony in "World's largest single EU funded municipal project" http://www.digitalregion.co.uk/ and that after all this time they are almost ready to sign a contract with contract with Thales Transport and Security Limited.
Posted by tweety about 1 year ago
I've spent 3 years campaining for Doncaster, Brodsworth Estate to get broadband and I find this hard to believe. TPON areas being neglected usually due to lack of local exchange phone capacity and not copper cables or funding. The planners for this scheme will likely look at these small pockets of seemingly low takeup and choose not to cable them as NTL/Virgin, and BT have done for so many years. Its certain they will choose the areas who already get the best ADSL2/+ service anyway leaving the "village" out in the dark ages.
Posted by tikka69 about 1 year ago
I think most of the scheme involves FTTC so should not just favour people that are close to the exchange for once, so villages should do OK with this too...........
Posted by haydnwalker about 1 year ago
Also from Doncaster - I'd also like to be optimistic - but as Tikka69 says - no point in getting too excited until we see the roadworks... People in the villages should (if its FTTC/FTTH style fibre) be some of the highest takers as it won't be as much a problem with people miles from their "local" exchange
Posted by CARPETBURN about 1 year ago
Cant win with some people on this site.

Damned if someone tries to help damned if they dont.

I imagine those whinging though that are in the area will soon leap and grab the service if they end up being in the hopefull 97%.

Some of you people really need to make up your minds if you want money spent for next gen services or not!
Posted by Somerset about 1 year ago
Lots of words on the website but nothing about what, exactly, is to be provided. They go on about low broadband penetration - 20% - but how will this increase it, apart from in, maybe, areas not covered?
Posted by tikka69 about 1 year ago
CB, as you can see from the website this has been going on since 2006 with very few updates. I will be quite happy to pay for a higher speed offering if it becomes available, just like to see more than just website updates, news stories, etc.. before getting excited about it.
Posted by KarlAustin about 1 year ago
Sounds like it's one of those projects that use up all their funding money on endless rounds of meetings and consultants and are left with very little to show at the end of it. Projects like this love their meetings, even if nothing gets accomplished from them (which is nearly always the case when you've got endless numbers of them).
Posted by Firewall about 1 year ago
I live in a small hamlet in Doncaster and just hope we'll come within the 97% level however I think, looking at the progress that's been made so far (ie none), that KarlAustin is closer to the truth than I'd like to admit.

It would also be useful to know how/who is going to provide service over the fibre. One presumes, because it's got EU approval and all that, that as a publically funded project it must be open to all carriers.
Posted by ralphr about 1 year ago
I hope that is is sooner rather than later. I am p****d off with approx 3300kbps.
Posted by sydr 10 months ago
Well this IS going to happen now ....announced in the budget and i assume most in the region will hear/see stuff on radio and TV in the next fes days.
I am involved in the project and can tell you that we have been behind the scenes working on this for over two years and we are ready to go ! its the core network that will go live before the end of the year and Sheff city centre will be first. Any questions just post ! New boxes next to the BT box on your street will be coming and then you will (almost certainly) get it inc villages

SYDR
Posted by johnski15 8 months ago
Hi SYDR

I have been following the news re: Thales appointment to deliver the fibre optic network in South Yorkshire...

The website indicates that Doncaster will the initial connection...I was wondering if:

A. The work had started?

B. Will the fibre optics be available to domestic properties?

B. (i). If so which properties will benefit in Doncaster?

Thanks, John Wilkinson
Posted by tikka69 7 months ago
SDYR

Any updates on how this is going ?
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