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Thursday, 15 January 2009

Public dosh for fibre?

More hints from Carter that there may be public money made available for investment in fibre. And how do those people who have been thinking about this for years get to input into the process and try to help prevent the government making a right royal cock up of this project too, out of interest?

Because if the money is handed out to the telcos, mobile operators etc, that is what we will inevitably see. Anyone know?

4 comments:

Graham said...

As far as I'm aware the folks at CBN continue to work hard to lobby Stephen Carter on this very issue. While you may not be CBN's best friend, they are actually very astute and have positioned themselves very effectively to do precisely this job on behalf of community activists such as ourselves.
Credit where credit is due.

Cybersavvy UK said...

I don't think I mentioned CBN, ...however, in response to your statement..

As CBN are about to change their constitution at their AGM (28th January in Manchester, all welcome) so they are no longer a co-operative supporting community broadband projects as per the initial motivation for Timms' funding, but are actually focussing on the consultancy work they have been doing for the last 3 years, I think one needs to be a tad careful in making claims about CBN's purpose and agenda.

CBN is not, and never was a campaign and lobbying group. That was ABC, the Access to Broadband Campaign, at whose 2nd London conference CBN was launched by Alun Michaels. With, may I add, our blessing and the gift of all the communities we had managed to join together during 2001-4 in the Association of Broadband Communities, without whom CBN would have had no "members" (less than the 8 they have now anyway!), nor communities to support, nor the wide range of experience that those communities - Alston, Cambridge, Arwain etc etc etc - brought to the table to help CBN move forwards.

As for implying I am not CBN's best friend, I would suggest that you do a little digging around to discover how much work I put in to ensure that CBN came into a fruitful existence from the very outset, to support community projects - bearing in mind I was the Membership Services Director, the initiator of the Notspot survey and report, one of the key drivers of the mentoring scheme, and much, much more over the years.

When you have been involved in community broadband for at least a decade, then have a pop at me!!

Graham said...

Whoa there!

No "pop" was intended. Apologies for any misunderstanding on my part, but I was given to understand that you were not particularly supportive of the direction that CBN has tekane in recent years. That's all I was referring to, and if I'm incorrect i am more than happy to withdraw the comment altogether.
I am very aware of your lengthy involvement in the sector and your work in the past for ABC/CBN.
I'll get my coat ...

Cybersavvy UK said...

Nice coat.