[2 August 2008] Sam Crawford's Samknows website has been an oracle of reliable information about the UK's broadband scene since the early days of trigger campaigns and nascent, patchy services. Today the site contains a new addition to the plethora of broadband facts - the first results of his Performance Monitoring report.

During June and July this year the feedback from some 223 devices installed in people's homes was being collated, giving what must be the most detailed report into the performance of the UK's main ISP's ever published. Anyone feeling disappointed by the promises of "up to" broadband packages will understand that network performance is measured by more than just headline speed. The Samknows study has gone to great pains to identify and collect just about every metric which matters - the result is a fascinating insight into what happens under the hood of a broadband network.

The results are detailed and worth the effort to read - and in some cases contradict the received wisdom on many broadband forums. While more work is being done to allow firm conclusions to be drawn, the landscape is a lot clearer.

Sam Crawford should be congratulated!!

[18 July 2008: Nairobi, Kenya] Kicoshep open their first ICT resource centre in the Kibera slums. The centre, opened with the help and support of CBN, will provide a range of scarce and much needed technology services to the local community ranging from simple access through an affordable cyber-cafe to ICT training and the development of the first broadband network in the slums.

Adrian Wooster invited to plant a tree for the new centre

Set up as an NGO to combat the impacts of AIDS on the Kibera community, Kicoshep already supports local people in a variety of income generation schemes with over 100 sustainable projects already underway. The new centre builds on that progress, opening up new opportunities for the community to trade with greater Nairobi and even the rest of the world.

Helen receives award from Cabinet Office Minister, Phil Hope

The awards ceremony, held in London on 24th July, is a Government backed awards showcase highlighting the best social applications of Technology. The awards set out to discover leading examples of social technology being used for positive change in communities, designed to "recognise everyday heroes who use technology to make a positive impact on the world around them”.

South Witham Broadband started in 2004 as a not for profit company, in response to the refusal of the leading national broadband companies to install broadband technology in the part of rural Lincolnshire in which South Witham stands. Helen Anderson, together with 3 other determined local residents, set about providing a broadband service for themselves. Four years later, South Witham Broadband is providing not only a wireless service locally, but also ADSL broadband services throughout the UK, specialising in difficult “long lines” other providers turn away.

[9 June 2008] The Ofcom Consumer Panel released a video to coincide with the Broadband Stakeholders Groups conference, "Beyond Pipedreams", effectively contrasting the experiences of UK broadband users with their counterparts in The Netherlands (OnsNet, Nuenen ) and the USA (Utopia, Utah ) who have access to Next Generation Broadband.