AS THE importance of broadband access to the area becomes more evident – and more urgent – some go-it-alone schemes could get streets ahead of the game.
With a BT 'threshold' needing up to 400 expressions of interest per exchange before it will connect Forest and Wye Valley users to the vital high-speed link, there are dangers whole areas may get left behind.
Vantage Point Business Village, Mitcheldean, has commissioned a high-speed fibre-optic internet and communication "better than conventional ADSL broadband" for existing and potential tenants.
The first user in the Carlson Suite at Vantage Point will be Frontline Consulting.
"Our business in IT consultancy depends on this high quality communications facility," said a Frontline spokesman,
And Vantage Point commercial manager Kevan Spencer said: "Users of IT, digital design, CAD/ CAM and other knowledge businesses can cut their file transfer times by up to 90 per cent .
"This can reduce costs, speed up reactions and offer the best multinational performance for customers."
There is to be a Vantage Point 'Broadband Open Day' and free breakfast on Thursday October 17 to explain and launch the scheme. Anyone interested can call Mr Spencer on Dean 541222.
Meanwhile there are offers from specialist firm CDV Technologies (www. cdv-technologies. com) to connect at a far lower threshold than BT – a sign-up of around 80, says a spokesman, should be enough to make BT 'unbundle' the relevant lines.
Toni Fagan of Lydney Area Partnership, the organisation which first raised the spectre of the Forest being left behind in the broadband race, cautioned that it was up to customers to check out deals offered by all companies, especially ongoing maintenance.
The Forest of Dean District Council last week held a workshop at which Gloucestershire First introduced a strategy for bringing broadband to the entire county.
Council head of regeneration Owen James said the meeting had been a big success and matters seemed to be moving forward.
The fact that some parts of the Forest could move ahead faster than others might prove to be the pattern by which broadband arrived.
"Having one area linked is better than having none," he said.
Currently BT is logging 30 expressions of interest for the Lydney area on its website, although there are feelings the figure might be higher along with worries that registration is too complex and might not be completed properly by some.
Instead of going through their ISPs people are being urged to register their interest with Karl Greenfield (KGreenfield @network uptime.co.uk) in order to properly monitor local demand.