Calling for Pledges of Support from Business & Residents!

Kyles Community Broadband (KCB) is working to provide next generation broadband to our area given that BT have passed on the opportunity. We are presently working on a specification which will deliver 30Mbps or faster to our community in a range of affordable residential and business packages. Delivery will probably be through point-to-point wifi, and will likely be rolling out in the last quarter of this year and the first quarters of next.

The funding for this project is coming from BDUK and the Scottish Government and is administered by the HIE and Community Broadband Scotland. The intervention rate is 89% and it looks like the project will cost up to £500,000 in phase 1, which will cover ColGlen and some postcodes on the Isle of Bute. Phase 2, covering the Kilfinan Community Council area and further postcodes on Bute, is likely to follow on the heels of Phase 1, but until the Scottish government release the postcodes to us, the dates for this roll out will remain unclear however we expect to be working on this in early 2017.

KCB will need to raise 11% of the total project cost for both phases through match-funding. There are, of course, trusts and funders that we will go to to acquire some of this money, but we wanted to offer businesses operating in the area, as well as individuals who might be interested, the opportunity to contribute to the set-up costs of the endeavour to ensure the project happens.

What we are proposing is that whatever you or your business can contribute in advance, will be discounted from your monthly broadband subscription rate once the service is in place. We think, at the least, this will mean you will receive around 20% discount on the service KCB provides you for the period that your pre-payment lasts. We’ll confirm the precise percentages later.

At this stage we are asking for pledges of £250, £500, £1,000, £2,500 or £5,000 – and these can be made through the KCB website. Only once the project has been confirmed and contracts have been finalised by KCB and CBS for the 89% will we ask you to pay for your pledge. In the meantime once the subscription types – speeds, contention ratios and usage limits – have been specified we will work out exactly how your contribution will benefit your subscription.

KCB think that in its broad outlines this should represent an attractive offer for everyone in the area who recognises how integral broadband is to life, economically, socially and culturally.

KCB is a Community Interest Company committed to a sustainable, locally-run service which, once we have completed our roll-out of infrastructure, will cover 100% of users in our area.

Please note: we will update this post and details of the packages available to subscribers as soon as possible. KCB CIC is a social enterprise which will invest any surplus it makes from supplying internet connectivity back into the business to improve the service it provides and/or reduce the cost of the monthly subscriptions we will supply. We will update all pledgers on an ongoing basis as the network design and businessplan are developed, and pledging at this stage is no more than an expression of willingness to contribute to the project at some stage in the near future.