Bradley Stoke broadband intervention areas revealed

South Gloucestershire Council broadband intervention areas in North Bristol.

The areas in Bradley Stoke that are likely to benefit from state-aided investment in broadband infrastructure have been revealed in a detailed map released by South Gloucestershire Council (SGC).

The council, working in partnership with BT and Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), is planning to invest £2.2 million to improve broadband speeds across South Gloucestershire by March 2016.

Until now, SGC had only made available a low resolution map from which it was impossible to discern the exact boundaries of the ‘intervention areas’, where telecoms providers have said they will not be investing on a commercial basis. However, the new map shows the information at postcode level, which makes it possible to determine which streets are likely to benefit from the investment.

Related link: Broadband Interventation Areas [PDF, 1.1MB]

Whereas some consumers currently suffering poor internet speeds are likely to gain comfort from seeing their street within a purple intervention area, those living in the remaining white areas on the map are likely to see improvements earlier, since BT has said it intends to complete its commercial rollout of superfast broadband by spring 2014.

The intervention areas include most of central Bradley Stoke plus the area around Oaktree Crescent and Stanshaws Close in the north. Two smaller pockets in the north are shown at Primrose Close and Honeysuckle Close. There are also two small pockets in the south: Marjoram Place and the north-east corner of Juniper Way.

The absence of other purple zones in the south implies that BT is intending to bring superfast broadband to the bulk of this area through its commercial upgrade of the Filton exchange. That upgrade was announced in April 2011, but subscribers on 0117 numbers have since become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress, with just the Stean Bridge Road area yet to be offered the Infinity superfast fibre broadband service.

In January, the official BT Broadband Availability Checker was giving a date of 30th June 2013 for the availability of Infinity on 0117 numbers in Coriander Drive (south Bradley Stoke), but that has recently slipped (again) to 30th September 2013. Industry insiders suggest that these ‘end of quarter’ dates are holding dates that are “most at risk of slipping”.

Superfast or standard?

Across South Gloucestershire, 17% of premises are eligible for state-aided investment (83% will have access to superfast broadband via the commercial rollout programme).

SGC says it is aiming to increase superfast coverage across the district to “a minimum” of 90% and “an expected” 94% by March 2016. The remaining 6% to 10% of properties will be guaranteed a “standard” broadband speed of just 2Mbps.

The council says it is not yet in a position to determine which areas will get the superfast service.

SGC’s qualifying comments on the new map

“The map has been created at postcode level, and at this stage can only be a guide to visually demonstrate the areas we are allowed to invest in. The purple area of the map is the area where there is state aid clearance and will be surveyed as part of the project. The white areas of the map are the areas the telecoms market has already or plan to (in the next three years) invest in.”

“The map cannot show how the broadband network is currently deployed, as broadband networks are complex infrastructure that does not fit clearly into postcode areas. So for example, two premises within the same postcode could potentially be connected to different aspects of the network. The map therefore shows whole postcodes as either within the intervention area or outside of the intervention area, which may not be accurate. The physical surveys that will be completed will allow us to have a more accurate view about which premises are connected to which infrastructure.”

Note: Copyright restrictions apply to the map, as detailed on the legend.

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23 comments

  1. My part of Juniper Way is on the Almondsbury exchange with an 01454 number. I notice the purple patches completely miss all of Juniper way.

    I guess we’re going to be passed over by both the council intervention AND the upgrade to the filton exchange.

    Since we don’t get virgin, that gives us 0.5-3mbit/s. Worse than my friends in a 3rd world country.

    🙁

  2. @Gyre, As I wrote in the article, being outside the purple area is probably better, as it implies you are due to get fibre broadband via BT’s commercial rollout by spring 2014. Not quite sure how that fits with you being on an 01454 number though.

  3. There does seem to be a small section of Juniper Way included..?

    Happy that my street is included but still struggling to understand why it takes so long. What needs to be surveyed in Bradley Stoke – update Almondsbury exchange, lay the fibre, upgrade cabinets – job done.

    Have they not heard of quick wins?

  4. Yup, that’s what I’m worried about. Falling between the cracks.

    That would be SO frustrating… to have Marjoram Place on super fast broadband, but me, 100yds further on, on a piece of wet string 🙂

  5. The map shows does not show coverage by phone cabinet, which ultimately is important.

    If the SGC/BT agree that the shaded areas must be covered, BT will identify the phone cabinets that need upgrading. Then anyone connected to those cabinets will be able connect.

    Across Bradley Stoke, most BT Cabinets are in clusters of 2+ and service several streets. I live in Cornfield Close and my local BT cabinet(s) is near the surgery on Brook Way.

    So, do not worry. If you have the same BT cabinet as Marjoram Place you will be OK.

  6. Interesting work – nice one SH.

    My house is inside the smudge at the top of Juniper. So I guess they’ll be surveying now to work out whether it actually needs intervention or if BT are going to provide.

    The long wait continues.

    Am beginning to think 4g with unlimited data via tethering on Three might be a better option in the long term – providing I can get a reception when it launches later in the year.

  7. Interesting to see that Lincolnshire, which has today announced a contract with BT for its state-aided broadband investment programme, seems to have a much clearer plan for the phasing of its project.

    Maps show how the rollout will take place in eight phases, between January 2014 and March 2016.

  8. Just to add my house is also on an 01454 number, cannot get Virgin, and is not inside a purple area. You can probably guess its in Juniper way.

  9. @DaveP – Bad luck for you I am afraid. If the checker does not show a street cabinet it means you are directly connected to the exchange, i.e. on an Exchange Only Line (EOL). FTTC will be of no benefit to you as this is about locating kit closer to the premises, i.e. next to an existing streetcab. There are moves afoot to install hybrid cabinets but I wouldn’t expect these to arrive until the existing cabinets are upgraded.

    Further information:
    http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2012/06/bt-preps-new-uk-superfast-broadband-cabinets-for-exchange-only-lines.html

  10. 🙁 Does exchange only lines affect the speed? Currently get about 3.5Mbps just off the bottom of Hawkins Crescent – seems a bit fast for EOL?

  11. @DaveP EO lines are all over Bradley Stoke, from research if the house is built near a main road then it is directly connected to the exchange. I come off the Filton exchange in Pursey Drive, directly backing onto WB Road. Is your house close to Brook Way?

    My broadband speed is abysmal – with a stable SNR I’m connecting at 800K! I ditched fixed line and went with Three Mobile broadband, it’s expensive but at least I have 8 MB broadband.

  12. Yea I’m about 166m from Brook Way. Let’s hope they don’t ignore the EOLs until the very end.

    Might be time to try 4G solution. I can get at least 10Mbps on my phone when it’s in the loft….

  13. I did a check on an address at the high end of Juniper Way and cabinet 35 is served by Exchange ALMONDSBURY. Not sure where the cross-over is between Cab 44 (Filton-0117) and Cab 35 (Almondsbury-01454)

  14. Almondsbury exchange cabinet 35 is on Webbs Wood Road opposite Marjoram Place. As Marjoram Place is shaded purple on the Intervention map I assume they are all connected to this street cabinet and it will be upgraded. If anyone reading this lives on Marjoram Place and want to confirm it would be appreciated. Therefore those living at the high numbered Juniper Way properties also connected to street cabinet 35 would benefit from the upgrade.

    Even though the council have put in much work to produce this map I don’t believe it is granular enough. I also live in Juniper Way served by Filton street cabinet 44. Yet any postcode checker advises me I am served by Almondsbury exchange. I suspect when producing this map, South Glos were not correctly advised that Juniper Way were served from both Almondsbury and Filton exchanges.

  15. Does anyone have an idea when BT will start wok in South Gloucestershire for BDUK?

    There are loads of articles appearing from around the country of working starting in other areas.

  16. Frustrated by the poor broadband speeds in some parts of Bradley Stoke? If anyone would like to write a letter about this (or any other topic affecting Bradley Stoke) for publication in the first edition of the new Bradley Stoke Journal magazine, which will be distributed FREE to EVERY HOME in Bradley Stoke, here’s how to do it:

    Bradley Stoke Journal News Magazine – Letters

    Deadline for May edition: Wed 24th April 2013

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