The Final Yards
Well – it's now nearly 3 years since the first glimmer of an idea to get better broadband in Henbury, and we are nearly there.
It's been a long hard slog, particularly for Parish Councillor Mike Wood who has led the project from the start and dealt with all the numerous complexities involved (all on a voluntary basis).
Currently, 160 of the 209 houses included in the scheme are now in a position to connect up to superfast fibre, and many houses are already connected and getting speeds of up to 900Mbps. What a difference it makes to all our internet-connected activities on a day to day basis.
We know that some houses are not yet connected (notably those requiring underground ducting, which has had some delays). However rest assured that this is in hand, and you will receive an email from us as soon as you are able to order your connection.
IMPORTANT FOR VOUCHER-HOLDERS
As you know, the whole installation of fibre in Henbury has been funded through the issue of "vouchers" for a grant from the government.
Some of you have received emails from the Department of Culture Media and Sport stating your voucher will expire in 4 weeks. No action is required from you on these, as this matter is being dealt with by Openreach liaising with DCMS.
Once you are connected, you will receive an email from DCMS asking you to confirm that the connection is up and running as expected. It's really vital that you respond to this email asap, as this is the trigger by which the grant money from the government is paid to Openreach. Failure to action this will result in a shortfall in funding for the scheme, which will ultimately fall to Henbury residents to pay.
All voucher-holders who are currently able to connect have been emailed, phoned or spoken to by members of our small Broadband Project Team. We do ask that you keep us informed when you have ordered your new connection, as we are working very hard to maintain up to date records to ensure that there is no shortfall in funding for the project.
CONTACT:
Email:editor@henbury.org
Phone: 07795 264287