Grant Updates

Connections are being made and we are now far more efficient at getting the signed paperwork back to The Welsh Government for the payment of grants.

We are having to wait longer than expected for the grant money to be paid which brings with it a cashflow issue. We are working closely with Welsh Government in an attempt to get the grants paid promptly.

Construction and Progress

Yet another busy fortnight for Chris and Dave Walford trenching up and around Penylan and surrounding areas.

The trenching is now 90% complete and is expected to be finished within the next few weeks.  Amazing achievement guys, your perseverance and efforts are much appreciated by everyone as these trenches are bringing the ducts that will ultimately provide their 1 Gbps internet.

Directional Drilling Services have also been very busy the past fortnight and have completed the river crossing to Minorca Cottages after having to go to a depth of 7 metres just to get under the river. This was due to a shelf of bedrock that made a difficult drilling, however, Gary and Daryl stuck with it and finally got across leaving the next task of duct laying and fibre blowing to be done in the coming weeks. Other road crossings were also completed. This just leaves 4 more left to do around Haygrove and a couple of others around the village and this will then be another activity that we can put a tick in the box as Completed ! Well done Gary and Daryl we continue to be amazed at the feat of drilling and the accuracy of the results.

Router installations

Glyn and Jim continue to install Fibre Termination Units and have completed 97 to date. Great work by you both, this means that you are over 50% complete of the 190 properties to be connected.

Splicing and Splice Bullets

Carina has also had a busy fortnight, connecting 5 properties at Tai Derwen, 3 at Home Farm, 5 at Cefn Mably Farm Park and surrounding properties, 1 at Cae Gwyn, 1 from the Horsefield Splice Bullet and that is in addition to the multiple splicing in various chambers and splice bullets that will enable 20 connections at Cefn Mably Park in the next few days. I know that they are excited following the hard work and effort that has gone into getting the ducts through the existing chambers to properties.

Over the next couple of weeks we should see a total of 45 live connections including the above. Quite some achievement in a short space of time, but this was always going to be the case when we were ready to connect people at Cefn Mably Park with a good number of properties in a small area. Thank you to both Wayne and Lynn de Feu for the tea and coffee whilst I was busy splicing at the cabinet outside the “walled garden”. Very welcome and very much appreciated.

Fibre Blowing

72 Fibre has been blown up to Cefn Mably Park along with additional twin fibres to individual properties. A great team of people working on the fibre cable drum ensuring the smooth running of the fibre, no doubt helped along with the ongoing supply of tea, coffee and biscuits which was very much enjoyed and appreciated by the guys keeping the work going until the job was done.

We now need to blow fibre to Haygrove, Menorca and Croescarneinon, this will complete the major fibres to be blown leaving only the twin fibres to each property.

It is amazing how the project is coming together in so many ways and the achievements are incredible.

Volunteers

Yet again, volunteers continue to make their presence felt and their support has been invaluable. Without you coming forward and supporting the activities we would not have achieved as much as we have done in just 6 months.

Keep coming out and helping the project, everyone appreciates what you are doing.

To volunteer you may either :~ 

          Contact lilian.richards@myfi.wales to let her know of your availability

Or

          If you see a group of us working in your area, come out and give a hand. We will not refuse your help and will always find something that you can do on the day.

Cefn Mably Park

Achievements in leaps and bounds, the main 72 fibre is now in place and twin fibres reaching around 30 properties. An additional splice bullet is required to go into the cabinet outside the main house thus enabling a loop of fibre to be drawn from the 72 fibre and more splicing to be carried out to connect these properties from this chamber.   The first connections at Cefn Mably Park should be live within the next couple of days.

IT for the Hub

The Air Conditioning system has now been incorporated into the UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) which means that, should a power cut arise, the UPS kicks in and supports the running of the server and AC for around 90 mins. This would enable us to get a generator set up and running if required safeguarding the equipment in the Hub and keeping our connections running.

We are researching an Environmental Monitoring system for the Hub which will notify a nominated number of people when power cuts occur or the ambient temperature in The Hub goes over a certain level. Something that we need to be able to resolve should they occur.

Schedule of Future Work

As previously mentioned trenching will continue to Penylan Farm, Cefn Fawr, Penygroes, The Hollies and beyond which will compete the trenching !

Naturally, fibres will continue to be blown, FTU’s fitted, Pigtails spliced and splicing in the Hub and Splice Bullets to connect people.

Voice Over Internet Protocol / Vonage / Technical Advice Clinic

THURSDAY 4^TH OCTOBER ~ 3.00pm ~ 7.00pm

This date has been booked in the Village Hall for a clinic

Simon Peat the National Account Director with Vonage will be here with equipment and brochures and to demonstrate equipment. We have set up a partnership deal with them and for each customer that signs up a £40 signing on bonus will be paid to Michaelston-y-Fedw Internet CIC which will be placed into a separate cost centre and shareholders will be able to vote on several options for the community to benefit.

www.vonage.co.uk/home/partners/myfi-wales (a dedicated website page) and a direct telephone number has been set up especially for us as a “partner” for providing advice on the system, porting your existing landline number and ordering the Vonage phone system.

Telephone Number  ~   0333 455 3896 is specifically for Michaelston-y-Fedw customers.

James Stockton Link ~  JSL Electrical, will also be on hand to advise / consult about extending the network around your home with mesh networks.

This all gets very technical and so it will probably be very beneficial to come along and see how you can get the best out of the Gigabit internet around your home.

James has already provided some great solutions for Jason Stephens who was very impressed, so he comes highly recommended.

EU Commission Broadband Awards 2018

Hefin Owen and Gareth Owens at Rondo Media have done a magnificent job of producing the video which we have to include with our submission. I had the privilege of sitting with them in their Cardiff office last Friday while they were putting the finishing touches and incorporating some voice overs to provide the links. A very huge thank you for all the work that was done, we would not have been able to put anything like it together ourselves.

This video has been uploaded to our website and is on the home page if you would like to take a look. www.myfi.wales or on YouTube  https://youtu.be/TsahzszTpZw

Our submission has now been sent to the EU Commission and now we have to keep our fingers crossed and wait to hear any news.

Harvest Festival

St Michaels Church, are looking forward to welcoming us to the Harvest thanksgiving, a simple community service in the Church at 11. 15 on Sunday 7th October.

This is to thank the wonderful people of Michaelston who have worked so hard (and are still doing so) to provide the village with an internet connection which is second to none.

In an unusual twist there will be a ‘blessing of the broadband’ and a display of our materials at the altar.

Everyone is welcome to come along.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 20^th September 2018 at 7.30 P.M.

PLEASE COME ALONG AND HEAR ABOUT THE LATEST PROGRESS AND ASK QUESTIONS. EVERYONE IS WELCOME.