Newsletter 25^th April 2019

New Grants System

We have now submitted our new project for the Ruperra and Draethen Extension to DCMS (UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) for approval now that we are a registered supplier. We hope to hear back from them soon.

If the project is accepted, we then need to submit voucher applications for each connection. This should be an efficient process, although if there are any queries it does require prompt responses to ensure applications are not removed from the process if further information is not received within the timeframe required by DCMS.

Update on LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network)

 We have successfully installed a LoRaWAN gateway.

The gateway is for general public use and will have many applications e.g. Farmers will be able to get information via sender units which will “ping” back to their phones when gates are opened and closed.

LoRaWAN will have a number of uses depending upon the types of sender units and the information that is desired.

For an excellent explanation of The Internet of Things take a look at this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LDPkBEE7s0  or for more information please see https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/community/cardiff/

Updates on Expansion Plans

Although we are expanding the network to incorporate additional connections which are also rural, we will always leave sufficient availability for those properties in the community who are not presently connected. In the future due to house sale / change of occupancy they may want to join our network and we will always endeavour to ensure that no one in our community will be excluded.

Hopefully by now everyone on the Ruperra and Draethen Extension will have received their first newsletter which is designed to keep them updated and informed of the work in progress for their connections. As with the general newsletters of the past 12 months, I will ensure that photographs and information are included as the work progresses.

People who are wanting to be connected need to start dig their own mini trenches from property boundaries up to their properties in readiness for their FTU (Fibre Termination Unit) and splicing to be completed.

Our plan will include getting trenching done while working around crops that are planted.

Clearly, we are awaiting the approval from DCMS before we have the full go ahead and will notify all concerned as soon as we get news.

Once voucher applications are submitted then if a query arises or additional information is requested this needs to be answered promptly so as not to hold up the project.

Once again, we have local farmers and landowners to thank for agreeing to free wayleaves across their land. Without this the project could not go ahead and this is very much appreciated by all of us.

There were a couple of questions that arose during the meeting.

Q.            How big and deep do we need to dig the trenches on our own properties ?

A.            MyFi has available a Geo-Ripper that can be used. This is like a chainsaw and will carve a trench approximately 1” wide and 12 -15” deep which is perfect of the 7mm duct to be laid and the grass recovers very quickly once it is filled in.

MyFi will provide the ducting when it is required.

Q.        What happens with water pipes, telephone cabling, etc.

A.          Water pipes should be sited at 760mm or deeper and we only dig to about 650mm depth. We have maps from Welsh Water which shows pipes that are owned by them. Any cabling can be picked up with our CAT Scanner which has been invaluable in the past.

In the past 12 months we have rarely hit private water pipes but when this has occurred, we have had the fittings available to make repairs.

NOTE:   If you wish to lay additional services whilst the 650mm trench is dug they can be laid into the same trench (land drains, further ducting pipes etc), we will work with you to achieve this, but will need to know ahead of the trench being dug to ensure it is not filled in before you have added your additional services.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 6^th June 2019 at 7.30 P.M.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME.