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back to article BT in £52m contract tussle: West Country bumpkins hit with broadband delay

A £52m government-subsidised superfast broadband project in rural parts of Somerset and Devon that was won by national telco BT has been delayed over "contract issues". "Significant" problems have arisen between the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme and the telecoms giant that are yet to be resolved by either party …

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  1. dogged
    Meh

    "a few outstanding matters still need to be resolved."

    Trans: Our extra fees and the amount the councils will pay us on top of the original quotes if we're late and how much we get to soak the end-users and how many exchanges we plan to write-off as insufficient demand have not yet been approved.

    BT's business as usual.

    5 1
    1. LarsG
      Reply Icon
      Meh

      Looks like

      Looks like the money will now be sucked up in administration costs, office costs, and expenses cost while they bicker over the small print.

      0 0
  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "...CDS, whose website hasn't been updated since late last year..."

    Well the front page hasn't but they did release events in Somerset and Devon last week:

    http://www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk/devon-events/

    http://www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk/somerset-events/

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  3. zaax
    FAIL

    All too late for Ultra HD (4K) TV

    All too late for Ultra HD (4K) TV as its way too slow, so as the reast of the world moves on to new technolgies the UK slips to a 3rd world internet service.

    0 6
  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bumpkins?

    Better than being a loudmouthed Cockney geezer or some other equally derogatory stereotype I suppose...

    7 0
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Bumpkins?

      Sorry for being pedantic, but I think you'll find that syphilitic, drunken peeping Tom is the standard lazy stereotype for journalists.

      0 0
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Meh

    It would be nice if my broadband (in urban MK) could reach the speed and cost of my friends WiMax in Bangladesh.

    0 0
  6. Doogie Howser MD
    Stop

    Careful now..

    If you go round calling folks "Bumpkins", you'll get someone on with a stick up their arse calling you a racist. Believe me, I've seen it happen!

    0 2
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Careful now..

      Racist.

      0 0
  7. Dave 126 Silver badge

    Faster broadband in Devon? Good news for those live sex-cam ladies that Ilfracombe is so famous for.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5RVeQFK0LM

    0 0
  8. YoricHunt

    BT holding back rural services

    These initiatives have been setup in an aid to speed up BB roll-out to rural communities. I believe that in a lot of circumstances this is actually hindering the roll-out process.

    Put yourselves in BTs shoes, you plan on upgrading a rural community, but it's all at your own cost. The government is giving out subsidies, so what do you do? You wait until they subsidise the rural community you were going to roll-out to, why wouldn't you. Sure there are going to be exceptions where BT wouldn't have bothered and this will make a difference, but to many places it's just slowing the whole process down and costing the government money.

    Oh, and likewise, I'm proud to be a country bumpkin, I'd rather live in the West Country than the shithole that is London or the North, and by the North I mean north of Watford.

    2 2
    1. Kubla Cant
      Reply Icon
      Windows

      Re: BT holding back rural services

      Well I'll go to foot of our stairs! There are bumpkins in what you call "the North", as well. I see them every day when I'm out in me clogs and flat cap walking t'whippet. Umpteen of them, wandering across t'Fens of Cambridgeshire, eating chip butties and black pudding.

      1 0
    2. nick2nick
      Reply Icon
      Unhappy

      Re: BT holding back rural services

      Actually you put a small amount of the money you will save into 'lobbying' OFCOM and BDUK and make sure you are the only one that can win the tenders. "Corruption in big business in the UK" shocker!!!!

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  9. nevstah
    Stop

    finish what you started...

    before you start on new projects

    lets get the whole country on atleast 21CN before we start upgrading other to 'superfast'

    0 0
  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BT and SERCO - the dream team!

    Not only has BT snaffled £52 million for Devon and Somerset, but SERCO have another £12 million for 'demand stimulation' and infrastructure support in Devon, Somerset, Glos and Wilts - all to be spent by March 2015, just as the first holes are being dug. Try to find the tender SERCO won - you won't...

    2 0
  11. Lost in Cyberspace

    Hands up

    ... If you'd welcome the staff to your own exchange to do some upgrades, while we wait for the bickering to end...

    0 0
  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BT should really keep delaying the infrastructure upgrade for as long as possible.

    0 0
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