Callflow Solutions were out this week blowing fibre optic cable around the village.
Here is a short video of this exciting stage in development of the project:
For those who are observant, it is interesting to note the high-tech fibre feeding device (aka Engineer’s right wrist) which is used to make sure the fibre comes off the spool and into the tube in the right direction! Also of note the need for the engineer to keep his finger on the “trigger” – still a very manual process. I was told that the next version of the device (made by Ericsson) would have a button that would allow the engineer to take his finger off the trigger.
Interesting to see that Sam Knows doesn’t know how to classify projects like this. Which just shows this type of scheme bypasses the ken of current thinking in Ofcom and other National “what broadband speed do you get” services. However, it was good to see that Callflow Solutions received part of the recently announced £10m DCMS innovation fund.
If all goes according to plan, those who take service from the Goudhurst telephone exchange with numbers 01580 211 and 01580 212 should be able to receive higher speeds if they sign-up to the new service. Significantly higher if you are located within about 1km of the village centre.
It’s taken slightly under five years since our original Race to Infinity campaign – but we are now very close to the finish line. See post below for more details about signing-up.
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While this looks like a fantastic development, please take caution: if you are signing up with Call Flow, make sure you ask how far your property is from the cabinet. For those of us some distance from the centre of Goudhurst (and a fair distance from the nearest cabinet), the fibre has so far had little effect on broadband speed.
That said, I’m fully behind a local company trying something different and have very much appreciated being able to discuss my specific connection issues with someone a few miles away rather than in a call centre who-knows-where!