Page 2 - AOSERA SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2023

Even if residents choose not to use it, its availability will have a significant beneficial effect on Estate house prices with more people working from home, broadband has become a key factor in influencing buying/selling property decisions.
WHY ARE BROADBAND SPEEDS SO SLOW/POOR ON THE ESTATE?
The primary reason is that existing infrastructure uses old copper wire based technology, totally inadequate for the Estate’s current needs. All street cabinets are full, and all current services are delivered to your property by copper wire. The further away from the cabinet your property is situated, the slower the speed you will get (distance degradation of analogue circuits). As more people work from home and more devices need to connect to the internet, speeds and capacity become ever slower. If you have ever encountered the small rotating circle when you are trying to watch TV (BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube etc), that is because your existing broadband cannot cope with the demands you are putting on it. This would have only got worse if nothing had been done.
HOW DOES FIBRE SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
Quite simply, it transforms your internet performance and capacity. One of Briant’s first customers on the Estate has seen a 40 fold improvement in their download speed and a 190 fold improvement in their upload speed, compared to the previous ‘Superfast Broadband’ provided to them by BT. Everything runs at the speed of light and is not affected by distance or electrical interference.
WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO SWITCH TO FIBRE?
There is no need for you do to anything. Your current service(s) will be unaffected by this rollout.
ARE THERE ANY ALTERNATIVES TO BRIANT BROADBAND?
At this point in time no, there are not, but in time there will be. BT Openreach have said they won’t be rolling out in our area until sometime after 2027. Others may be here sooner, but there is no guarantee.
WHAT DISRUPTION WILL THIS CAUSE?
Briant Broadband have been working extremely closely with the Board to minimise any disruption. They have encountered numerous blockages where the existing ducting carrying telephone cables has collapsed, or become otherwise blocked. Their teams have been
Newsletter Summer 2023 page 2