I've just checked the HTML version of the BT Infinity website and lo and behold it shows the current leader board. Currently, our exchange is number 2 in the country, but we still have an uphill task to get a 1000 subscribers out of 1182 to sign-up, but we love challenges!
I just hope that BT are paying heed as this develops. It is the rural communities of the digital divide who are in all of the first 5 positions.
If you've read all the information BT have issued relating to the race, they are offering publicity packs to those campaigners in exchange areas who are first to reach 100, 500 and 1,000 subscribers signed up. Now I think this is a wee bit cynical on BT's part as it is going to be far easier to rack up 100 subscribers on a 10,000 subscriber exchange than on a smaller one. This is pretty much guaranteed to ensure that all the publicity goes to the bigger exchanges.
By a similar token, to pass the 1000 subscriber limit, we have to get around 85% of the exchanges subscribers signed up! Another case of BT tilting the playing field firmly in their own favour.
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we fell for this trick in 2003/4. we won't be falling for it again. All that will happen is that people get fired up and expect it to come and it won't. Anyone rural will get a copper solution, BET - bonded copper lines and the usual patch up solutions. The shame of it is that councils will hand over public money for this farce. You have to hand it to the BT marketing people, they are very clever. I hope you turn it on its head and expose it for the scam it really is.
ReplyDeletechris
chris,
ReplyDeleteYour points are very well made. In talking to people we are being completely open about why we are engaging with Infinity, we are very deliberately not raising hopes and 'selling' participation as very much an awareness raising exercise that will draw attention to the digital divide.
We are more than happy to use BT's advertising power to draw attention to our own efforts which are much more likely to provide a credible broadband infrastructure for the area!