We are on the verge of a new "digital divide" here in the Colne Valley, as in rural communities across Europe, the US and elsewhere. And guess what, we are on the wrong end of that developing divide. For anyone annoyed by the long delays in getting first generation broadband up and running locally, and the less than ideal performance many of us currently enjoy from our "up to 8Mbps" service, the next few years are likely to raise your blood pressure as ultra-fast (100Mbps symmetric, for those with a taste for technology) high quality fibre optic broadband arrives on the horizon.
This communications revolution is costly to install, and so smaller rural communities like ours are very likely to be at the back of the queue to get access as the big players focus their investment where they can maximise the return to their shareholders. Indeed there is every possibility that they will decide that places like the Colne Valley are simply uneconomic and choose not to deploy fibre here.
But it doesn't have to be like this. Locally, as in many other communities across the UK and beyond, projects are underway to develop community owned networks, where consumers and local businesses are coming together with the public sector to build, own and run their own sustainable networks.
If we wait for BT, we may be waiting a very long time, while jobs, people and the very future of our communities steadily leaches away to Leeds and Manchester where consumers and businesses will be able to enjoy fast reliable networks.
If you are interested in supporting the local initiative to build, own and operate our own next generation fibre broadband network, create an account on this site, which will be providing all the details and news as the local project develops. We are looking to create a steering group, build awareness of the issues amongst local businesses and residents, and work with public and third sector organisations locally to develop the business case, fund a feasibility study, and raise the capital required to get the network built. If you can help we would like to hear from you.
Malcolm Matson, who speaks widely on the benefits of OPLANs, or Open Public Local Access Networks, eloquently sets out the compelling arguments in support of local community networks in this video.