Broadband Cumbria

Hello,
As promised below is the Barry Forde ‘CLEO’ map URL of the extant NWR fibre optic network. They have run fibre along the Settle-Carlisle line and Mr Forde has identified areas which could benefit from using it if NWR released some dark fibre to the community: the map shows areas where there is potential for that. Cllr. Duncan Fairbairn,[who is a member and champion for Aikton, has told us that a next phase of NWR fibre will be along the west coast Carlisle- Maryport line. If we could lobby to get community fibre put in at the outset then the potential for superfast broadband would be greatly enhanced for the adjoining parishes.
At a glance you can see the cost savings this would bring if the BDUK would only give this the green light for all communities to benefit, or even to do a feasibility study. As Miles Mandelson has said in a different post this is in the realms of the political and we need to look to our elected representatives to put some pressure on Network Rail on our behalf. This fibre is essentially FOG [fibre over ground] and the cost of installation is almost negligible compared with FIG [fibre in the ground].

A word of caution in using the map, as it is an enormous file, the download for some will take a while, and our puny bit rate will struggle to remake the screen, when you use it.
You can only access the area within the movable grid, and be patient whilst the down load takes place we promise you it is worth the wait, as the broadband potential for many communities, can be seen at once.
We believe we should NOT give up on this as being a part of the Broadband solution the greatest long term potential is for our children and grand children. We know that the County wants to hang on to CLEO and Cumbria’s on-line education system so get them to help us and we can help them.
Incidentally, Bt would then not have it all the aces in the political and economic hand they have to play!
http://rorystewart.co.uk/images/zoomify/3.html
KrC&A

As we are getting our teeth into the SPEc of this issue of the Bt hegemony the credit for this post should go to our local councillor Duncan Fairbairn {a recently joined Member} who in a casual chat C&A were having with him about Cleo as he is an Education Portfolio holder on C.C.C. mentioned that Network Rail, NWR were rolling out fibre along the railway track [waving his arm in the direction of the line] and saying that would be alright for you two, get stuck into it. Knowing full well we both like a challenge, and it might be interesting to find out more.
If Duncan knew of the trail of the link in the subject under discussion Cleo and NWR he did not let on but more of this later,
Before developing this post further I have been introduced to two new mnemonics FIG fibre in the ground and FOG fibre over ground.
Just to bring us up to speed the following is a Wiki history lesson.

British Rail Telecommunications was created by British Rail (BR). It was the largest private telecoms network in Britain, consisting of 17,000 route kilometers of fiber optic and copper cable which connected every major city and town in the country and provided links to continental Europe through the Channel Tunnel.[1]
BR also operated its own national trunked radio network providing dedicated train-to-shore mobile communications, and in the early 1980s BR helped establish Mercury Communications’, now C&WC, core infrastructure by laying a resilient ‘figure-of-eight’ fiber optic network alongside Britain’s railway lines, spanning London, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester.
Realizing the enormous commercial potential, BR Telecommunications Limited (BRT) was created in 1992 to exploit its way leave rights and to take responsibility for the management and maintenance of the industry’s voice, data and radio networks associated with the operational running of the railway and its business needs.
BRT was bought by Racal Electronics in 1995 and became Racal-BRT. This merged with Racal Network Services (RNS) in 1997 to become Racal Telecom. Two companies, Thales Tran slink and Thales Field force evolved from Racal Telecom in 1999 and was merged into Thales Telecommunications Services (TTS) in April 2002. TTS provides specialist telecoms services to the UK transport market.
On 1 April 2009 under TUPE around 480 telecoms experts moved from Thales to Network Rail to maintain the telecoms network
British Rail Telecoms assets
This section briefly describes the assets that comprise Network Rail’s telecom systems and networks.
The fixed bearer network is at the core of railway communications and thus is vital to the operation of the railway. It provides essential circuits for signaling and electrification control systems, train radio systems, line side communications, level crossing CCTV, customer information systems as well as more general IT and business telephony needs.
The fixed bearer network infrastructure comprises transmission systems and telephone exchanges linked by a fibre optic and copper cable network that is located mainly within trackside troughing routes.
Network Rail has several analogue radio networks that support mobile communication applications for drivers and line side workers. These radio networks comprise of base stations, antenna systems and control equipment. The National Radio Network (NRN) was developed specifically for the operational railway; it provides radio coverage for 98% of the rail network through 500 base stations and 21 radio exchanges.
The NRN offers full access to the BRT telephone network; public service telephone network (PSTN) dialing, including international, is also available. It can provide ’dedicated’ open channels on talk-through mode for incident management and an override priority facility to ensure that all emergency calls are immediately connected to the railway’s Train Control Offices (TCO) and Electrical Control Rooms (ECR). The NRN and ORN are based on analogue radio technology and provide a high level of coverage throughout the railway network for mobile communication at the trackside. The ORN offers facilities for driver emergency communication with the local train control office. The RETB system is based on similar technology as the NRN and ORN but provides data communication for signaling token block exchange as well as voice communication.
Secure communication between drivers and signalers is provided by the Cab Secure Radio (CSR) systems located in various parts of the country. This application of analogue radio technology is deigned to offer complete radio coverage at the trackside within the limits of its deployment. Fixed communication at the trackside is provided by line side communication systems. These systems are primarily provided for signalers’ communication with drivers and the public through telephones located on signal posts and at level crossings.
Signal Post Telephones (SPTs) and other line side phones are linked to telephone concentrators at the signal box.
Special self-monitoring systems (PETS) are also provided for high-risk level crossings.
CCTV systems are provided on platforms where driver only operation train services are operated and at some stations with sub-surface platforms. These self-contained systems comprise of cameras, monitors, cabling and control equipment.
Voice recorders are also classed as telecoms assets.
Asset information
This section gives a brief insight into the origin of Network Rail’s telecom assets and why they are in the condition they are today. In the late 1960s the National Telecoms Plan (NTP) was launched which brought about a centrally managed (BRHQ) project to install a nation-wide co-axial cable based 4 MHz system of transmission bearer services for voice and on-line real time data networks. This was completed in 1972.
The fixed network as we know it today was installed piecemeal as part of BR’s electrification and signaling projects between 1972 and 1993.
Fault reporting is localized and system failure is generally only uncovered as a consequence of customer complaint. The fixed telecommunications network consists of a wide variety of mostly old technologies, some of which are obsolete.
As a result of the privatization process, a significant proportion of the fixed telecommunications network is now provided through lease agreements with Global Crossing and it is maintained by the former BRT (now Network Rail).
Much of the network is now life expired and its renewal is the responsibility of Network Rail.
The earliest CSR system was installed in Strathclyde in 1984 and other systems exist in East Anglia, Southern, GW and Midlands Zones and on Merseyrail. Typical lives for such systems are given as 10 or 15 years and thus the Strathclyde system can already be considered to be life expired.
Other early systems are approaching life expiration and with some parts now obsolete there is a significant risk and maintenance liability present. This can manifest itself in operational difficulties and high operation costs. The NRN dates back to the 1980s, although base stations have been added as recently as 1999. Studies show the system is life expired, but life could be extended until 2008. The obsolescence of critical parts and the lack of further mobiles mean that costly reverse engineering is now required to keep the system going.
SPT concentrators exist in all but the smallest of signal boxes. A variety of technologies are in existence and obsolescence and system support issues drive renewal. Modern system life is estimated at 10–15 years although some systems over 25 years old are still in operation.
FTN and GSM-R
GSM-R radio systems are being introduced across Europe under EU legislation for interoperability. In the UK, Network Rail has established a stakeholder’s board with cross industry representation to drive the UK implementation of GSM-R to replace the National Radio Network (NRN) and Cab Secure Radio (CSR) systems currently in use.
Rail Safety & Standards Board (RSSB) are revising the current train to shore radio standard GO/RT3410, and renumbering it as GE/RT8080, and developing a new standard GE/RT8081 that contains requirements that are specific to GSM-R. The Railway Group Standards are being developed to support the European Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) and should be read in conjunction with this document.
There have been two rounds of consultation on these documents, and a final round of consultation is planned for the summer of 2003, with the intention of publishing the standards in December 2003.
The Network Rail National Project for the introduction of GSM-R plans for the radio service to be live nation-wide by 2007, with the current radio systems switched off at the end of 2009.
The Fixed Telecomm Network is the backbone for the GSM-R and is built on Alcatel PDH and SDH rings.
A fully functional GSM-R system trial started on the North Clyde Line in Scotland in 2007.
For some years before these trials commenced however, GSM-R has been in use for voice-only purposes (known as the ’Interim Voice Radio System’ (IVRS)) in some locations where axle counters are used for train detection, for example parts of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) between Crewe and Wembley.
Britain’s GSM-R network should be fully operational by 2013 at a cost of £1.2 billion. This cost though does not include the WCML. The WCML transmission equipment is Marconi and is maintained by Telent.
Roll out
The Network Rail GSM-R system is being rolled out nationally alongside the Fixed Telecom Network (FTN). This will replace the existing CSR, NRN and legacy telecoms system (formerly BRT/Racal/Thales/Global Crossing).
This consists of 2500 GSM-R base sites and 11,000 miles of fibre optic and copper cable linking together a DWDM SDH digital backbone network, consisting of core nodes, access nodes, switches etc.
The GSM-R BTS equipment is Nortel, including the MSCs, BSCs, HLR, VLR. The sub-system equipment is Frequentis. The FTN equipment is Alcatel DWDM with SAFT UPS power systems.
The large masts are produced by Francis & Lewis, with antennas by Kathrein.
The Relocatable Equipment Building (REBs) are made by Elliott and fitted out by Alan Dick UK Ltd in Scunthorpe (installed with Alcatel access node and Nortel BTS).
The system is being rolled out five ways:
1. Enabling works - construction of GSM-R base sites, tower build and rigging, collection, delivery & installation of the REB and powering up.
2. REC supply - separate contract to get mains power to the site by whatever means
3. FTN works - survey, clearance and renewal of the line-side concrete S&T troughing, installation of joint bays, loop bays, break-out boxes, UTXs, track equipment housings (TEH), cable laying (copper, fibre, aluminum screen cable), jointing and splicing, testing.
4. Installation of Main switches, NOC, TEC etc.
5. Migration of existing legacy circuits onto FTN
To date the trial GSM-R system has been rolled out in the Strathclyde area (19 base sites covering 50 km), with the TEC/NOC/Switch at Stoke on Trent. Main switch/HLR/VLR at Didcot, with a fallback at Peterborough. There have been several contracts and schemes awarded to roll out all over the country (Kent, Yorkshire, Birmingham, Walsall, M4 corridor, South Wales, Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway).
As part of the Modular approach being adopted by Network Rail and in conjunction with the new 15 m mast policy, a new hinged mast has been developed by street lighting specialist Abacus.
Network Rail is currently fitting out a test train at Derby it has purchased for RSV testing of the GSM-R network. The train is formed from ex-Gatwick Express stock.
End of History lesson
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What has all this got to do with our present Broadband Cumbria project?
Here we have to go back to the conservation, which Duncan was having with us at the start of the post about CLEO,
Those of you with this weeks copy of the Cumberland news of course will have read the whole article [Front page and page 12] but the important few lines that have led to this post are at the foot of the second column in the article which is in spite of my previous swipe at Bt is of great importance, the Quote—-
‘Once the project is put out to tender early next year, companies such as Bt Virgin or other broadband providers will bid for the work.
PIGGY-BACKING ON EXISTING FIBRE NETWORKS SUCH AS THAT USED BY CUMBRIAN SCHOOLS [CLEO] my bracket. WILL BE THE KEY TO KEEPING THE COST DOWN in RURAL AREAS and there is an important role for THE GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT’—-marshaled by Rory
It transpires that the founder of CLEO prof. Barry Forde, got there first.
[There is a URL link here to a 45meg map file which has a bug in it so we will up load it when we have used the DTT on the wayward typo beetle]
For when we discussed this idea with Louis we had this reply
Hi Aileen, Colin,

The idea of letting communities tap in to the fibre running along the railway lines is an excellent one. Barry Forde (the man who designed the CLEO network) has been dreaming of this for a number of years. He’s already drawn up very detailed plans & costings for doing so on the Settle-to-Carlisle line, along which fibre has already been laid.

So far so good, Ok you have guessed it there are problems. These we can move onto when you have had a chance to reply to the original thought, of this post. Bt apart then……

‘We may have more choices than we think’

Oh yes, I like this bit best from our research it appears that.
We tax payers are paying for, and already have paid for, the NWR fibre so you might say we ought to have an input into the purposes for which it is used?
KrC&A

hello John,
the last post is by way of an apology for the irrelevant url placed in our reply to you. We hope this all now makes sense. As for typos the,
person who never made a mistake etc…
and look at the mess I made of the reply to our last thread
Kr C&A