This evening I attended the latest Superfast Leicestershire Stakeholder Forum at County Hall to represent Holwell.

I’m glad to report that the county-wide project is on time and on budget.  The Council budget cuts we hear so much about in the news are unlikely to affect the remainder of the broadband project – of which we’re part – because the County’s contribution to it has already been put aside.

There was no specific news for Holwell at the meeting but separately I have been reassured that our village remains in the plan for delivery this Summer (2015).  We should start to see work happening between April and June with a PCP (green, copper wires cabinet) being stood in the village, followed by a DSLAM (green fibre cabinet).  Then the fibre itself is laid into the village and finally everything is connected up and we go live.  Be prepared, however: this last stage can itself take a few months, as we’re seeing in Ab Kettleby, where problems with the cable routing have resulted in delays.

I’ve volunteered to be a ‘Digital Champion’ for our village and will keep you updated here with firmer dates on our fibre roll-out just as soon as I get them.