News just in - 500 homes is FTTH viable!!

I can't share any more right now but I've been waiting for this particular solution to be scaled down for nigh on a year (read: 15yrs).

This blog post can be read at http://5tth.blogspot.com

At the beginning of this year, I went

out to the States

to see various different rural FTTH solutions and meet their initiators after lengthy email, Skype etc discussions. It was quite a trip!! And I would recommend it to anyone. If you need a guide and intros, please, just ask.

I've just had an email saying that due to RUS etc, (and hopefully meeting me!) one particular group have worked on scaling down their FTTH solution so that it would seem to be financially viable AND sustainable in low density populations. e.g around 500 connected homes on a 25% uptake. No mention of timespan yet, but previously they were working on cash positive within 6 years. We were talking about densities of 10-15 so I can't imagine they have gone much beyond that.

I have *every* belief in these guys having met them. You should too. These guys have already JFDi swathes of the USA that would leave many of our counties with minimal notspots. There are differences between the States and here, but not so big. You can tweak a business and deployment plan to apply it here in Europe/ UK. Particularly in light of some of the announcements that have come out recently at this end.

So, if you could create a sustainable, deployable network to 500 homes+, would you JFDI?! I will!

As more and more people struggle to find investment opportunities for the common man, this could prove to be one of those long term 'bonds', like a Premium Bond or Building Society, that delivers a return at a suitable rate of interest, not just to the investor, but also, in spades, to the community it involves and that the investor lives in.

These were the guys who introduced me to 'leans' on houses, were there when I saw the war/planning rooms filled with peanuts (no, seriously, they were Very Important Peanuts), and taught me the basics of community mapping etc. They also refused to let me steal the Utopia NGA demo HeaVAN. (Pictured above - thank you Todd for pandering to my desires, and bleurgh to the others for not letting me bring it home!!)

The sooner we in Britain have a Heavan to show people what we mean by TRUE BROADBAND and solutions like these, the better. (And the photo is my truck, which is ready and waiting to become a Heavan - sponsor reqd as I will put you all to shame if I jfdi alone.)

I think it stands for High-Bandwidth, Everything-goes (symmetrical in other words), Awesome Van...guard Approach to Real Broadband in Rural Communities with Low Densities where the Incumbent Fears to Tread Demonstration Vehicle..... or something ;o)

Also posted on 5tth.blogspot.com