The layout of this page follows a question and answer format. If you have any comments, or if there is a question we’ve missed then please get in touch. If anything isn’t clear we’re happy to update this page to clarify things.
Who are Fibrestream, and what do they do?
What is a ‘community network’ and why should I care?
There is no community organisation here, also how do we pay for the network?
I’ve heard of people digging their own fibre, what’s that about?
So is Fibrestream an ISP then?
What if I don’t want my network to run as a mutual/cooperative?
Why Fibrestream?
Who are Fibrestream, and what do they do?
Fibrestream is a business with an interesting slant on the telecommunications industry. We believe that network assets should be owned by the people who use them rather than by the businesses who build them.
We are principally engaged by organisations and communities to provide the technical expertise, equipment, support and skills required to design, build and operate networks for them.
What is a ‘community network’ and why should I care?
Community network ownership usually takes the form of a organisation made up of network users. We suggest that a mutually owned public, private, community partnership would usually best represent everyone using the service.
A mutual doesn’t have to pay dividends to shareholders so all of the profit from the network gets reinvested back into it to make it better (or bring the cost down). A mutual approach also ensures that the interests of service users are placed above profiteering (after all, if you own the network you’re highly unlikely to rip yourself off…).
Surplus revenues that are made from the network return to the community. (Community projects, local innovation, or even reducing the service charge), it is the choice of each community. The network asset will be owned by a community organisation and operated in a commercial fashion just like other utility services.
There are some situations in which community organisations do not want to own their own networks. In this case Fibrestream is happy to talk to organisations about leasing networks to them for defined periods of time.
There is no community organisation here, also how do we pay for the network?
Fibrestream can help communities to establish a mutual cooperative organisation to own the network on the members behalf. We have some advice on how funding sources can be accessed within both the private and public sectors and we encourage you to get in touch.
I’ve heard of people digging their own fibre, what’s that about?
As a community organisation, you may want to reduce the cost of putting your network in by doing some of the digging yourself, or by engaging a local contractor to do it for you. If not we can happily arrange that for you as part of the network build cost. The choice is entirely yours.
So is Fibrestream an ISP then?
Not really. Principally Fibrestream builds, designs and operates networks on behalf of the organisations who own them. We advise community organisations to operate an ‘open LAN’ policy across their networks to allow any ISP to interconnect and provide bandwidth to end users. This promotes choice and competition.
In the event of market failure, at the inception of a network or at request Fibrestream can make arrangements to provide backhaul and is happy to discuss this further with you.
What if I don’t want my network to run as a mutual/cooperative?
Fibrestream will conduct network design, build and support on a contract basis where this is the preferred route for the customer. We recognise that there are some situations (for instance farms we have provided services into) in which the users of a network are not a community as such and a mutual route would be overkill or inappropriate.
Why Fibrestream?
Fibrestream has team of professionals with a long history in Community Broadband and commercial delivery of enterprise class service for various industries including the banking and insurance sectors. Fibrestream has also forged relationships forged with major providers of Civil Engineering, Passive & Active FttH and Content to bring together the whole story of Next Generation Access network delivery.