SCC pumps more money into loss-making Digital Region

[andygardener 10]

If it goes I would hate to have to goto either SKY, BT or Virgin Fibre. None of those can offer truly unlimited, unthrottled, unrestricted access.

 

No indeed, because they a) have to get a return on investment on upgrading their networks and b) have more than a couple of thousand customers per £100K spent on network infrastructure.

 

Enjoy it while the taxpayer funded la la land lasts, you'll probably be a BT customer by April.

[Bonjon 10]

No indeed, because they a) have to get a return on investment on upgrading their networks and b) have more than a couple of thousand customers per £100K spent on network infrastructure.

 

Enjoy it while the taxpayer funded la la land lasts, you'll probably be a BT customer by April.

 

 

I am enjoying it, and for once am pleased with where my money is being spent, keep up the good work SCC.

[Goooooogle 10]

Does anyone know what is actually happening now that the complete cockup known as Digital Region has been closed and wound up?

 

We still cant get fibre for our business (in S4) and BT still has no plans to upgrade Sheffield central to fibre.

Presumably because they were excluded from competing by the idiots who were "running" this.

 

The 5th largest city in the UK and we are crawling along in the bloomin' slow lane.

 

And why hasn't anyone been brought to book from the SCC on this?

 

People should be criminally charged for the amount of money they wasted.

[tintin123 10]

Digital Region is running as normal for existing customers, but closed to new customers. The business is not up for sale as a going concern. It is effectively in administration/liquidation. The assets (physical network, cabinets, fibre etc.) are up or sale. There have apparently been a couple of interested parties. Existing customers are in the dark as to what is going to happen to their service over the coming months. The best guesses are that the network will close in the summer and we will be migrated over to the BT network at some stage.

Councils are negotiating with BDUK to provide grants to BT to subsidise upgrades of exchanges where it would currently be uneconomic to do so. There was a recent announcement about some exchanges in Doncaster.

[liam1412 14]

All that needs to happens is invest the money earmarked for HS2, and use it to invest in our ageing telecoms network. Do something that would actually benefit everyone not just a few bankers who can stay in bed 20 minutes longer and still get to work on time.

[smiggs 10]

All that needs to happens is invest the money earmarked for HS2, and use it to invest in our ageing telecoms network. Do something that would actually benefit everyone not just a few bankers who can stay in bed 20 minutes longer and still get to work on time.

 

In fairness they spent a hell of a lot of money of South Yorkshire's broadband project, unfortunately the councils cocked it up.

 

Not sure why the Digital Region network can't be converted into a BT network, I'm assuming the councils are still paying the running costs of the DR and will now have to spring for BT to fibre up the rest of the region when we've already got good enough wire already in the ground.

[liam1412 14]

The main failing point in my opinion was the set up fee's. They were pretty hefty, and for me personally the reason why I didn't sign up.

[Jeffrey Shaw 93]

For more, see the Tech. Forum thread http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=964437&highlight=digital+region

[Goooooogle 10]

For more, see the Tech. Forum thread http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=964437&highlight=digital+region

 

More updates - it seems the local councils are being given £ 10 million from central government to sort the mess out.

 

And what are they spending it on ? Another review with a 3 year plan...

 

Honestly - you couldn't make it up.

 

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/broadban...outh-yorkshire

 

http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.u...s/sybroadband/

 

My suggestion would be to spend 10p on a grovelling phone call to BT and let them come and sort it out.

[anywebsite 10]

Why do you want to strengthen BT's monopoly? They're far from the best as it is & they've done everything in their power to try to kill DR, how is less competition supposed to help anybody except BT? Why do you want more taxpayer subsidies to BT?

 

If you're going to hand over the whole network to a single company, then why not somebody smaller & more local, like one of the DR ISPs?

 

The money has already been spent doing the cabling, the actual running costs even if only a few people use it will be very small compared to the installation cost. If it's shut down or passed onto BT to shut down all that money has been wasted and/or donated to BT.

 

Main problem with DR is it was never marketed, most people in the region have never heard of it. The councils should be spending more money to promote it & get some customers if they want to recoup that initial investment.

Edited March 31, 2014 by anywebsite

[Goooooogle 10]

Why do you want to strengthen BT's monopoly? They're far from the best as it is & they've done everything in their power to try to kill DR, how is less competition supposed to help anybody except BT? Why do you want more taxpayer subsidies to BT?

 

If you're going to hand over the whole network to a single company, then why not somebody smaller & more local, like one of the DR ISPs?

 

The money has already been spent doing the cabling, the actual running costs even if only a few people use it will be very small compared to the installation cost. If it's shut down or passed onto BT to shut down all that money has been wasted and/or donated to BT.

 

Main problem with DR is it was never marketed, most people in the region have never heard of it. The councils should be spending more money to promote it & get some customers if they want to recoup that initial investment.

 

The money has already been wasted and now another £ 10 million will be frittered away.

 

BT had nothing to do with its failure - that can be firmly levelled at the councils and the companies involved.

 

My business is within a mile of the central exchange of the 4th biggest city in England but I still cant get fibre so you cannot say DR did a good job at all....just where is the infrastructure?

 

And BT is not allowed to upgrade that exchange because of the mess caused by DR...

 

Complete catch 22. And yet SCC has the balls to do yet another review (while spinning it as a great superb initiative with zero mention of the cockup of the DR...)

[karl101 10]

My business is within a mile of the central exchange of the 4th biggest city in England but I still cant get fibre so you cannot say DR did a good job at all....just where is the infrastructure?

 

And BT is not allowed to upgrade that exchange because of the mess caused by DR...

 

Really?, have you any evidence for that? BT upgraded Broomhill exchange to fibre without any difficulty.

 

K.