Back in December 2011 the then-Conservative leadership of Isle of Wight council approved a plan to give £3m of tax-payer’s money to BT to supplement the roll-out of broadband to some parts of the Island.
More recently, February this year, John Irvine, boss of WightFibre (declaration: WightFibre advertise with OnTheWight), stated his view that the IW council’s broadband plan was flawed, wasted taxpayer’s money and would breach EU Guidelines.
Critical NAO report published today
Today, a report (embedded below) by the National Audit Office (NAO) is critical of the slow progress of the ‘super-fast’ broadband roll-out across the UK – it’s delayed by over two years to 2017 – where BT is now expected to be the sole provider of services.
WightFibre, based in Cowes, say they can provide broadband to the Island, but strongly feel that the council giving BT £3m is not producing a “level-playing field”, concluding that the tax-payers money is being wasted.
Below are their thoughts on today NAO news.
The Isle of Wight Council’s Rural Broadband program has been thrown into doubt by a report from the National Audit Office.
Margaret Hodges MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee says,
“Government has not had a good enough grip on its rural broadband programme. Only nine of 44 locally managed programmes are expected to meet the 90% super-fast broadband coverage target by the May 2015 deadline. The programme won’t now be delivered until March 2017, nearly two years late.”
Amyas Morse, Head of the National Audit Office, said today:
“The rural broadband project is moving forward late and without the benefit of strong competition to protect public value.”
“Council chose to ignore warnings”
Responding to this announcement, John Irvine, CEO of local network operator WightFibre said this supports WightFibre’s previous criticism of the Council,“WightFibre met with the Council last September warning them this process would not deliver. The Council chose to ignore these warnings. Instead, they took advice from the very department being criticised here and are following a process now shown to be seriously flawed and running two years late according to the government’s own report.”
Margaret Hodges further states,
“In an attempt to reduce public costs and risk, the Department has ended up stifling competition. BT has won all 26 contracts let so far from the Department’s framework contract. It is not much of a competition when you end up with only one supplier [BT] actively bidding in a framework, despite nine organisations being interested at the start.”
WightFibre calls for level playing field
Irvine added,“As the government report says, only BT will bid for the Council’s £3M grant. WightFibre is prevented from bidding. WightFibre, without any council money, will provide superfast broadband throughout the whole Island by the end of 2014.
“All WightFibre is asking for is a level playing field. Isle of Wight Residents and Councillors should ask the council why it is wasting their money in this way?
“WightFibre wishes to work co-operatively with the Council to make the Isle of Wight the most connected rural community in the UK. Already, 100Mb broadband is available to 25% of the population and speeds of 30Mb (three times the national average) are on target to be delivered to the whole Island during 2013 and 2014, well ahead of the Council’s deadline. Speeds of 10Mb (two times the rural broadband average) are already available to 95% of the Island.”
