Broadband updates

Superfast Broadband Phase 3A and Phase 3B

The Phase 3 Superfast Broadband Project completed on 31 March 2020. More than 2,300 premises across South Gloucestershire now have access to superfast fibre broadband as a result of the Phase 3 Project, which will now be known as Phase 3A.

More good news is that the Phase 3 programme has been extended to include approximately 250 additional premises. This will be known as the Phase 3B Superfast Broadband Project.

We are currently working with our partners Openreach on the ‘planning and design’ stage of the Phase 3B project. Much of this work is carried out online using desktop applications and computer design programmes. Once this stage is completed, we will move on to the physical ‘surveying’ of the areas that are due to be upgraded. This is when residents may begin to see surveyors and engineers out in the community undertaking the surveying work on-site.  The work to install the new fibre broadband network as part of the Phase 3B ‘build’ stage is currently planned to begin in July 2020. This will depend on a number of factors, including how well the ‘planning’ and ‘surveying’ work progresses, and the impact of COVID-19 on any infrastructure build. We are working closely with Openreach to ensure that work continues to progress as much as possible.

There are a number of communities that are currently in the plans to be included in the Phase 3B build:

• Badminton
• Bagstone
• Berkley
• Bibstone
• Codrington
• Hawkesbury
• Tormarton
• Wickwar

as well as parts of Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury.

As is the case with any large-scale infrastructure project, the build areas and the build timelines are subject to change depending on the results or findings of the planning and surveying stages. The fibre broadband roll out is fluid and complex, and a number of factors can impact on the programme’s scope and delivery timescales. Also note that not all premises within a certain area or postcode will be upgraded.

Further information on the Superfast Broadband Project

For an engineering programme of this size and complexity, the planned build has needed to change when there are issues completing the physical build.

There are a number of stages to the fibre broadband deployment:

• the ‘planning and design’ stage
• the ‘surveying’ stage, which can be where some of the issues are identified by the surveyors who visit the areas that are planned to be upgraded
• the ‘build/ deployment’ stage, which again can throw up some unexpected issues when spades are actually put into the ground
• the ‘commissioning’ stage – this is when Openreach simultaneously notify all of the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to let them know that the fibre broadband installation work is complete and they can make their fibre services available

There is no guarantee that a premise will be upgraded, even if it has initially been included in the ‘planned deployment’, as this will depend on how the physical build progresses. Broadband infrastructure does not recognise postcodes or even street layouts. It is therefore possible that two houses next door to each other could be connected to different parts of the telecommunications network. It is also important to realise that not every premise within a particular postcode will be upgraded. Residents should use the Openreach fibre broadband checker and their landline telephone numbers to see what the plans are for their property.

Challenges with deploying fibre broadband

Some of the existing copper broadband infrastructure that will be upgraded as part of the council’s broadband project has not been accessed for many years. As a result some of the equipment can be in very poor condition. Landscape and weather can also have an impact on the build. During the Phase 3A deployment, some particularly bad weather and heavy rainfall resulted in a number of the ducts Openreach needed to work on filling with large amounts of dirt and silt. This meant the work to upgrade them could not be carried out as quickly as expected.

Other challenges faced include:

• land ownership, access and wayleave issues
• road closures and the associated traffic management
• planning permission
• other community-associated concerns such as the location of the fibre broadband cabinets and the necessary supporting equipment

We work with a number of organisations, as well as different areas of the council to overcome some of the challenges we face. These issues can however take time to resolve, so we appreciate your patience while we work through them.

Since the Superfast Fibre Broadband Programme began in 2013, technology has moved on at a very fast pace. The demand for high-speed fibre broadband services has also increased. With more of us than ever working from home, shopping and banking online, using the internet for school work, streaming television and keeping in touch with friends and family all over the world, we understand how important a fast and reliable broadband connection is to residents and businesses across South Gloucestershire. Installing fibre broadband across South Gloucestershire is a priority for the council.