Broadband in Shiplake
With technology advances changing the way we work and the increasing incidence of working from home is is essential that Shiplake has high speed broadband connection installed in the villages in the next 2 years. An Action Plan has been put in place to ensure this happens via the OxOnline Superfast initiative. Check this out by referring to the plan within the SVP Report and follow progress through updates on this website.
More High Speed Broadband Availability in Lower Shiplake
The fibre broadband cabinet near the Corner Shop had had it capacity increased from 300 to 420 users. Not sure when the commercial functions in BT and other providers will be aware of this but good to know it is there. A few hiccups and difficulties along the way but the project, in general, has been very successful and many users in Shiplake are obviously enjoying the benefit of high speed broadband
Article created / last edited: 15 May 2017
OxOnline 'New' Cabinet Postcode Coverage
A little belatedly but OxOnline are now promoting the availability of 'fibre-enabled/superfast broadband' on the new cabinet at the Reading Road/Mill Road Junction. They refer to it as Wargrave* Cabinet 11 serving 11 postcodes:
RG9 4BL, RG9 4BS, RG9 4BT, RG9 4BU, RG9 4BY, RG9 4DA, RG9 4DD, RG9 4DF, RG9 4DG, RG0 4DN and RG9 4DW
There appear to have been some 'procedural' issues with ISP's in getting access to this cabinet, which has affected Shiplake Cross residents primarily. If you have not yet upgraded your service, there should no longer be any difficulties BUT make sure to state you want 'fibre-enabled/superfast broadband' and you should be able to get a service delivering download speeds above 24Mbps.
This update very likely concludes the efforts of the SVP team tasked with ensuring Shiplake has fibre based high speed broadband. Details on how you can take advantage of it are in this section of the website, along with appropriate links to OxOnline and other information.
*Wargrave is referenced as it is the local connection exchange for Shiplake.
Article created / last edited: 3 June 2016
Shiplake Broadband News 18/01/2016
OxOnline have responded to our questions with what should be good news: the 3rd cabinet commissioned and orders possible within the next 10 days, which should be good news for Shiplake X...check for postcode applicability in the recent article on the website. Broadband capacity issue on Station Road cabinet being resolved with another expansion card. Click here for more details and advice....
Article created / last edited: 18 January 2016
Shiplake Cross Broadband Speeds & 3rd Cabinet
Latest update from OxOnline below re 3rd cabinet and the requirements of Shiplake Cross residents is below.
'I have checked our delivery plan and the cabinet is still showing as green for delivery by 31 December 2015. BT will report to us 20 working days after the milestone date (i.e. 29 Jan 16) – once that has been received we will have a clearer picture of what premises are connected to what cabinets' - OxOnline 21/12/2015
Check out the level of service you are getting by clicking here and following OxOnline's recommendations.
For those disappointed by current fibre broadband speeds, I suggest pursuing provider politely but assertively for a level of service consistent with that projected in their promotional/contractual 'paperwork'. Included within these discussions might be moving to the new 3rd cabinet...do not expect any provider to do this automatically or proactively.
FYI....I am aware of one user, close to Memorial Hall, who is getting over 30Mbps using Infinity1, but he does have the benefit of having his internal telephone wiring separated between voice and data at the point of entry to the house. This also gave a speed approaching 6Mbps prior to fibre connection.
I am not suggesting that you undertake such work but in discussions with your provider that you suggest they/BT change/upgrade your initial connection 'box' into the property. BT/provider will probably want to charge you for this but if service is well short of that projected, you should have a strong case for having an engineer check the installation and perhaps/probably change your 'profile' at the Wargrave exchange without charge; you will have to accept that you may be charged for this service if the current installation is not at fault. Personally, I would wait until Cabinet 3 is operational in order to pursue such speed improvements...we will keep you advised...
Article created / last edited: 21 December 2015
Latest Broadband Update: Performance, Postcodes and extra cabinet
OxOnline's response to 3 key questions:
Can anything be done re peformance for users of Mill Road cabinet? What is status of 3rd cabinet on Mill Lane/Reading Road & will it benefit Shiplake Cross? What is max. no. of connections per cabinet and are connections still available?
Click here to find the answers... including postcodes
Article created / last edited: 21 December 2015
High Speed Broadband Beating Original Expectations
The feedback on the new Forum of the village website suggests we are significantly exceeding SVP Broadband Team's minimum objective of 10mbps throughout the parish; speeds of between 45 tp 70mbs have been reported. This should make a big difference to many people's everyday use of the internet and/or downloading of TV content, films and videos....particularly if you are running a business from home or have children and teenagers accessing the internet.
Every households' experience will likely be different...checkout the website feedback and you may be helped by clicking on an article on broadband kindly produced by Bob Nicholson earlier this year and subsequently updated to reflect changes as the high speed fibre has now been installed.
Article created / last edited: 5 October 2015
High Speed Broadband Available Across the Parish
Openreach confirmed to OxOnline today that the Mill Lane cabinet has been commissioned and both cabinets in the parish are now ‘customer ready for service’. Customers connected to these cabinets can contact their chosen ISP to order faster broadband packages. A number of residents have already placed orders, received their new hub and expect to 'go live' in the early part of next week. Updates on resident's experiences can be followed via the website Forum
Article created / last edited: 7 November 2015
High Speed Broadband Availability- Orders Being Taken!
Superfast broadband should be available in Shiplake by the end of the month. Two SVP volunteers have already placed orders with BT... OxOnline's update at the beginning of this week (14/9/15) confirmed both new cabinets as fibre enabled, with the Mill Lane cabinet needing only an additional copper connection for completion. This means orders for the service will begin to be accepted within approximately 15 working days.*
Given lots of frustration with the delays in recent months, the question is whether it really is happening? We checked with BT and I contracted for BT Infinity 2 for upto 76mbs with availability on 29th September, including a new hub delivered before then. Seemingly, that is all it takes and I will have a broadband 30 x faster than today. If everything goes to plan this will make a tremendous difference for many people in the villages. We will keep you updated on our progress but if you want to move ahead then contact your broadband supplier and ask them what they are offering; the relevant BT services are BT Infinity 1 (upto 38mbps) and Infinity 2 (upto 76mb)...the vast majority of people should not need Infinity 2 (or equivalent) unless downloading very high volumes of video content regularly.
It is impractical to go into more detail here but separately we will post a thread on the website's new Forum to provide updates on progress and feedback on experiences....please provide updates of yours. Take note of the caviat below.
* As the Mill Road cabinet still requires copper connectivity you may not be able to make an order yet. Call your supplier and find out. Also, apparently a small number of telephone lines are directly connected to Wargrave and these require further work before connection is possible; the only way to know whether you are affected is to ask BT.
David Pheasant - SVP Steering Committee
Article created / last edited: 25 September 2015
Broadband Update...all dates are for guidance only!
The latest update received suggests the earliest availability would be mid to late September but given the feedback below c/o OxOnline, I would anticipate it taking a little longer:
'BT are still targeting September 15, it is a wet and problematic area'.....more quotes follow...
'Their engineers still have issues getting the fibre down the private road before it crosses the railway, de-silters (ducts silted) couldn’t get through it so they are now looking at a different technology to unblock the ducts.'
'... they are waiting on a road closure for various civil engineering works to get fibre to PCP1 (Mill Lane).....proposed dates for road closure are 31st Aug to 2nd Sept for PCP1'
' This cabinet (Northfield Avene/Station Road) requires 43 Metres of new duct and some de-silting of existing duct works, which will require traffic management put in place (320 metres) with a possible road closure'.....date tbd.
In summary, work is progressing with issues arising that need to be resolved....but we do appear to be getting there and will have superfast broadband in the not too distant future.
Article created / last edited: 10 June 2015
Broadband - Additional Information re delays 12/5/15
- The fibre cabinet near the Corner Shop in Lower Shiplake requires 43 Metres of new duct and some de-silting of existing duct works, which will require traffic management put in place (320 metres) with a possible road closure.
- Following resident and parish council complaints the fibre cabinet in Mill Lane, standing in front of lodge window, will be moved to the opposite side of the road; OCC Highways have agreed at site survey that BT can move it. BT are awaiting contractors to remove the power before they can re-install. We have no timescales as yet for this work to complete.
Article created / last edited: 12 May 2015
Probable Delay to Faster Broadband...'blocked cable ducts'
The latest update from OxOnline is that engineering works have been delayed due to existing ducting needing to be desilted before the fibre can to be blown through the tubing. The access reuired to undertake this work requires a Temporary Traffic Restriction Order, which involves a statutory public 12 week notice period. Openreach are now having weekly meetings with OCC's Highways Agency in order to expedite resolution of such issues when possible. Currrently this means superfast broadband will be delayed to end of September 2015, perhaps later, but we will update everyone with updates on any improvements in projected availability.
Separately, we will shortly be making available an update from Bob Nicholson on the broadband options available and projected costs once faster broadband is available.
Article created / last edited: 26 June 2015
Superfast Broadband Coming Soon!
Many of you may well have noticed the new fibre cabinets being installed in Mill Lane and near the Corner shop, with availability in the near future referred to in the website Forum; 8 weeks after installation of the cabinets has been mentioned. The caviat to such expectations, however, is that the Openreach project manager for OxOnline suggests it will take a litte longer but has confirmed availability is on track for the end of June. This is all good news and I am sure many in the villages will be exytemely happy when they get access to it!
According to OxOnline, all postcodes in the villages should be able to get good access and speeds from the new service, albeit speeds will vary in relation to distances from a cabinet. Check with your supplier once the service is made available.*
Availability of Superfast broadband will represent another success for the SVP Plan project. My many thanks to all the team that have contributed to making this happen.
* Note that there are a few lines directly attached to the Wargrave exchangs (not via the existing cabinets), which may have to wait until later in the year for connection.
David Pheasant - SVP Project
Article created / last edited: 1 April 2015
Virgin Media investing £3 billion in broadband and other services
We still anticipate high speed broadband being delivered to Shiplake by June 2015 BUT it always important to have other options in the future:Virgin Media have announced ‘Project Lightning’ thro' which they invest £3 billion to grow the Virgin Media network over the next five years.This major expansion is the largest Virgin Media have ever undertaken and at this stage they are capturing initial interest. Where it is built will be influenced by how many people register in an area, so they are encouraging people to register their interest. It only takes a few moments.Please sign up at URL: http://keepup.virginmedia.com/cablemystreet
Article created / last edited: 16 February 2015
June 2015 Completion still projected...Update c/o OxOnline
OxOnline still anticipate end of June 2015 for both cabinets serving Shiplake (Wargrave exchange 1 & 2). Dates are subject to change as per the caveats on the OxOnline website as this is a complex infrastructure project and engineering issues can occur. In this case there appears to be a wayleave that needs signing for one of the cabinets, hence the anticipated delivery date of end of June. BT advise that Church Lane is fed off 'Wargrave cabinet 2'; as this is approximately 1,300 metres away, it is anticipated there should be a good service available once the cabinet is upgraded (likely speeds cannot be specified but this area of Shiplake is expected to benefit from speed increases). All speeds will vary depending on the distance between the cabinet and the property.
Article created / last edited: 12 December 2014
Fibre Broadband Availability Slips to June 2015?
For those with a keen interest in the availability of fibre broadband and how you eventually 'sign up' for it, click here to get an update on progress of the OxOnline project. Note, however, that the information below is more accurate in terms of the project plan schedule for Shiplake and will be updated in December:
The project plan is now showing works complete in Shiplake by June 2015, with work commencing in April 2015. Unofficially, there is a view that it may be before this but BT is in the process of delivering by far the biggest chunk of coverage for the program (nearly 15,000 premises) between now and end of December and the unexpected can delay things. Apparently a lot of early momentum in the program was lost due to a traveller encampment setting up near Boars Hill, Oxford, resulting in BT not being able to get to the power supply required for that area? So, being cautious, at this time we suggest assuming June 2015 availability.
David Pheasant - SVP Steering Group
Article created / last edited: 18 November 2014
SVP UPDATE - SUPERFAST BROADBAND
STILL GOOD NEWS.... BUT anyone checking on the OxOnline website recently may have noticed that Superfast Broadband to Shiplake has been further delayed to the final phase, with completion by December 2015, potentially some 9 months later than our previous update. Folllowing discussions with the OxOnline manager, we have clarified that the projected date for installation of 2 fibre cabinets in Shiplake is March/April 2015, with possible small delays due to issues with the RG9 4BN postcode (Church Lane); this probably requires the installation of a 3rd fibre cabinet, made possible we understand thro' the additional SODC funding programme.
Please note that a few Exchange Only lines exist and they will not be connected via fibre to the exchange until the Autumn 2015 timeframe...the better news is you may well get speeds of approx. 300Mbps, well worth waiting for! We do not know which lines these are but we are told that individuals can check their number via a BT website.
Watch this space...monthly progress updates have now been agreed with OxOnline.
SVP Broadband Team
Article created / last edited: 29 September 2014
Superfast Broadband not available until 2015
The January good news update did have caveats and BT Openreach vans have been seen in the area....alas, they have not been a good omen. Installation of fibre in Shiplake has been delayed to Phase IV of their implementation plan with a scheduled completion date of April 2015. Given previous estimates had completion in the villages in November 2014, the projected delay is not good but still well within our objective of completion by end of 2015.
Specific requests for information have been made in relation to coverage by postcode and of the installation of fibre at Wargrave. A contact name for the OxOnline program at SODC should also be good news.
Updates will continue on the website....make sure you have registered yourself as a user along with your Areas of Interest. If not, please do, as it really will make it easier to keep you informed of developments.
Article created / last edited: 27 March 2014
Future of Broadband in the Villages
Access the SVP Broadband section of the report by clicking on the link below:
More information on Action Plans to ensure high speed fibre based broadband is contained in the SVP Report and can accessed by clicking on the link below:
Improved Broadband Action Plan
All Action Plans and Quarterly Updates are provided in the SVP Action Plans & Updates Section of the website
Article created / last edited: 10 March 2014
Superfast Broadband coming to Shiplake
Superfast Broadband coming to Shiplake
We shall not celebrate until we see BT ‘openreach’ vans laying cables in Mill Road and near the corner shop but we have had very good news; as part of the OxOnline initiative it is planned to begin installing high speed fibre cables in Shiplake in 2014. There are 2 stages scheduled, with phase 1 scheduled to start in April and be completed by October 2014 and phase 2 starting in July, with completion by December 2014. It has to be stressed that these are ‘plan dates’ and are not committed delivery schedules. Nevertheless this is a major step forward, which should have very positive benefits for almost everybody in the villages.
So, how much better/faster will your broadband be? A key factor will be how close you live to one of the two BT cabinets in Mill Road and the corner of Northfield Avenue. I am told speeds possibly up to 80Mbps near the cabinets, reducing the further away you are. As 10Mbps was the mimimum objective of the SVP broadband volunteer, we would consider faster speeds than this a real benefit. Assuming everything goes to plan, we will have over achieved our objectives with faster speeds and completion within a year rather than two years; I should like thank the volunteer team for making sure Shiplake is not a digital ‘backwater’. Thanks also to David Bartholomew (OCC) for helping in the team’s relentless pursuit of answers and commitments, from OCC’s OxOnline management project team.
All of that said, no celebrations until we see the vans! There are still questions to answer, not least how individual postcodes are affected by the fibre installations. We have some initial early information on this, which we will be clarifying with the OxOnline team and providing updates on progress via our new website. You can also check on progress via OxOnline’s website: click on http://www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk but we cannot vouch for how up to date the information is.
As to the question of how will BT will get the cable across the river from Wargrave? No answers to this other than that OxOnline and Berkshire Superfast apparently have it all in hand.
David Pheasant - SVP Steering Group
Note: This news is an update to the information provided in the Shiplake Village Plan Report recently circulated.
Article created / last edited: 7 February 2014