The Great Work Begins…

The last time I blogged about our Broadband saga was back in September – time for an update.

Back then I wrote that there was good news – the company (the Communications Infrastructure Fund – CIF) financing the rollout of fibre optic cables had announced the green light to financing a further 5,000 FttH (Fibre to the Home) connections this year, which encompass all of the countryside addresses in our municipality (Oude IJsselstreek), plus parts of a further three (Montferland, Doetinchem and Bronckhorst).

However, there’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip – Bronckhorst decided that they weren’t going to play ball with CIF, and instead go ahead with their own plan to lay empty ducts, hoping that they can do a deal with KPN (the largest Dutch telecom provider) to put network cables in them. As a result, CIF has rejigged their plan, and now intend to implement 5,670 FttH connections to all countryside addresses in Oude IJsselstreek, Montferland, Doetinchem, and a further small municipality: Doesburg. They’re calling this area “Achterhoek Zuid” (South Achterhoek).

CIF work together with a cable infrastructure company, COGAS, under the name “Glasvezel buitenaf” and last week, they organised a meeting for local volunteers (“ambassadors”) to give out information about the campaign.

The campaign starts in earnest in the last week of November, when all 5,670 households will receive information about the project, and invitations to public meetings.

The Great Work Begins…