Author: Paul M Tate

In the autumn of 2003, ORB was created to “light up Oxfordshire”, at this time 40+ of the 89 Oxfordshire exchanges were not about to be upgraded any time soon. ORB put a business plan together to put several linked wireless networks together around the county. This plan was being submitted to SEEDA (the regional development authority) in late November. On 17^th November 2002 BT announced trigger levels for the remaining viable exchanges (leaving about 300 without). This unfortunately stopped ORB’s campaign in its tracks.

However part of ORB’s business plan was accepted by the West Oxfordshire Network, who had some European funding available via LEADER+. With matched funding for SEEDA ORB was presented with £56,000 to create a broadband network for the Shipton and Kingham exchanges in West Oxfordshire. The full story can be found here http://www.oxonrb.net

The network was live providing broadband two years before BT arrived.

The network was put together by Adrian Wooster (http://www.great-technology-company.co.uk ) and myself using both 5.8GHz and 2.4GHz devices with a 5.8GHz backbone using Lancom units and 4g system meshcubes.

In 2002 I started campaigning for broadband in my home village of Hanwell, this was part of the Wroxton St Mary exchange in North Oxfordshire.

The exchange covers the Oxfordshire villages of Hanwell, Horley, Wroxton, Balscote, North Newington, Drayton and the Warwickshire village of Shotteswell with phone number commencing “01295 73”.

The campaign started in June 2002, with a web site at http://www.broadband4wroxton.org.uk and with lots of leafleting and help from other villagers; the exchange had BT ADSL in August 2004.

At some point the website will be archived but it is still available.