Vtesse News

Hertford. 16th December 2009

Trial to validate wireless fast broadband for “Final Third” residents

Vtesse Networks, the UK’s leading Next Generation Telecommunications provider, today announces its plan to deploy a super-fast fixed wireless broadband trial in rural Wiltshire. The first community to be served will be Chapel Plaister, a “Final Third” hamlet near Corsham. Further communities in the area may be added as the trial progresses.

The term “The Final Third” was coined in the Government’s recent Digital Britain report to describe the one third of the population who are, for economic reasons, unlikely ever to be able to receive broadband service above the universal service pledge of 2Mbps unless there is regulatory change and Government intervention.

The Wiltshire trial complements the project Vtesse Networks is already undertaking in Cornwall , delivering ultra-fast broadband services for Final Third residents in Upper Pill and Hatt (near Saltash) with “fibre to the cabinet” and “fibre to the home” technologies (collectively termed “FTTx”). In sparsely populated areas like rural Wiltshire, FFTx services are unlikely to be economic in the medium term even with Government support, so alternative solutions have to be found.

Vtesse Networks is trialling wireless technologies capable of bringing super-fast broadband services to the smaller rural communities that comprise the most challenging element of the Final Third.

The trials, which are scheduled to commence in early 2010, will deliver a wireless broadband experience that will significantly exceed the Government’s 2012 universal service commitment of 2Mbits/second described in the Digital Britain report, allowing the broadband challenged residents of Chapel Plaister to enjoy high quality streaming video services like YouTube HD, iPlayer and Sky Player, as well helping to extend the reach of 3G mobile services for devices like the Apple iPhone and Blackberry.

The results from the trial will be used by Vtesse Networks to support applications for funding from the Government for the 2Mbps Universal Service commitment and also from the Next Generation Broadband Fund due to be set up following the announcements made in the Pre Budget Report.Commenting on the trials, Aidan Paul, Chief Executive of Vtesse Networks said “The Government’s Digital Britain report usefully identified the problems of broadband deployment to the Final Third of the population where competition alone may not provide speeds that meet or exceed 2Mbits per second, and where investment in fast broadband infrastructure is unlikely to happen unassisted.  We aim to explore the regulatory changes and Government support required to bring equitable and competitive levels of fast broadband service to rural settlements like Chapel Plaister.”

Aidan continued “It is important that we remember that the Final Third of the population are not only in rural areas. There are broadband “not-spots” and “slow-spots” spread around the country, in urban as well as rural areas. The Final Third comprises anyone on long telephone lines outside current cable TV footprints. These residents are unlikely to be able to benefit from even the basic service promised by the 2Mbits/second universal service commitment unless something is done to address the commercial issues.”

Interested parties can register interest in the Wiltshire trial and get further information by emailing wiltshire@vtesse.com

….ends

Notes to editors:

1.” Super-fast broadband” is a term commonly used to describe services delivering speeds up to 20Mbits per second. “Ultra-fast broadband” services generally deliver speeds up to 50Mbits per second.

2. The Digital Britain report can be found at http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/digitalbritain-finalreport-jun09.pdf

3. References to possible Government funding for next generation broadband roll out to final third communities can be found in paragraph 4.45 and 4.46 of last week’s Pre Budget Report at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr09_chapter4.pdf

4. A map of known broadband “not-spots” and “slow-spots” (Less than 2Mbit/sec) can be found at http://www.broadband-notspot.org.uk/

5. Further information on Vtesse Networks Cornish trial can be found at http://www.vtesse.com/news.asp