Nelson Broadband (fibre optic high speed internet)

                          Nelson Broadband, fibre optic cable high speed internet service

UPDATE jUNE 2019   Telus fiber to the home is here, now NelsonFibre is asking to reduce rates to try to compete?  Will this city council keep this waste going?  Its failed everywhere else will Nelson become the Bakers Dirty Dozen?

While pursuing the cities  solar garden project I became aware of   Nelson Broadband or nelsonfibre.ca

There is no nelsonfibre optic infrastructure currently available in residential areas outside the existing downtown and schools/college areas    
                                                           There never will be     keep paying that hydro bill.....                                                                               
UPdate:  March 2019   The city is planning a 288 fiber strand underwater cable from Lakeside to the North shore.   That is enough capacity to provide live streaming HD video movies to every home in Nelson simultaneously.  Rumor is its to increase Nelson hydro's grid reliability.???  Cost I see $30,.000 mentioned, I think thats just the beginning or the real costs.

The other rumour, the sewage lift station on the north shore.  How has it survived the last 20 years without fiber?  Its simplest form, is the power on or off?  Put a light on the bridge visible at the city of Nelson Hydro works yard.  Lite on,  power on.  Lite off - power off or light bulb burnt out.  Cost negligible.

You can read my letter to the editor,

Below is a picture of Nelson fibre, Telus and Shaw fibreoptic cable on the same pole.  Nelsonfibre has about 10km of fibre, in the downtown core with spurs out to the schools.  Telus and Shaw go everywhere.  Searching the internet I find fibreoptic cable costs from $20,000 to over $100,000 per km.    If the city has fifty customers (most other government or schools),  that might be generous, almost all within the downtown core, the remaining 9 km's of their fibre optic might have a dozen customers.  Shaw and Telus on the other hand divide up the other thousands and their cable is everywhere.

The city has dark fibre.  What is that?  Its like water pipes with no water.  You pay the city $100 per month if you are residential(only ava. if you live near Baker St or the main lines shown on the maps below), non profit or a school, $150/mo for business.  Then you have to sign up for internet service to connect to the world.  Typical business cost $350/mo.  Total $500.


A typical Nelson business Nelsonfibre cost would be something like $2500 instal, onetime admin fee of $250 monthly payments to the city of $150/mo and then they have to choose an ISP to hook them up to the world internet for another $350/mo.  If they have servers in the city hall availability is on city business hours, security and environmental control out of their control etc.  I received a quote from Shaw for a business $139.95/mo no installation fee and a free ShawGoWifi hotspot and other perks and massive bandwidth.  So Nelson fibre startup over $2500 and then $500/mo for 100mbps and Shaw only $139.95 free instal and 1/3 faster downloads at 150mbps,   Hmmm,,,, business case faster speeds for $139.95 or city internet for $500/mo....what to do.

 The city connected their departments, fire, police, library, and say they are saving $100,000? Believable?  They have two (update FOUR) full time employees and maybe $1M in hardware? Someone more attuned to this technology than I suggested $2M?   They are also saying that Nelsonfibre is self sustainable.  What does that mean, income pays all expenses?  I don't see how that is possible. At $100/mo for each school, and how many downtown business customers at $150/mo? 10? 20? Do they know Shaw provides faster downloads for 75% less cost, free instal and other perks?

Nelsonfibre charges a business $500 or costs to instal, a one time admin fee $250 and $150/mo for their empty water pipe.  Then you have to buy your equipment and pay your chosen ISP $350/mo to light up (put water in the pipe) hook you up to the internet.

I contacted Shaw, they would waive the hookup fee, charge $139/mo for faster speeds and supply the equipment as well as a free Shaw GoWifi site, and other perks.  I have an invoice in front of me for a nelsonfibre customer, total instal costs over $2300!  Shaw/Telus-free.

The map above shows the nelsonfibre routes, Connected buildings in brown, other than government and school buildings few connections.  Income to the city for schools $100/mo per school.  Over 10 km of fibre optic cable in the city, possibly $20-$100,000/km.

And recently after the mayor went to some digital conference in New York City, she came back announcing Nelson is in the top ten running in North America for some kind of intelligent community award!  The schtick is cities who don't get intop the high speed internet will be left behind.  This kind of wasteful spending keeps up there will be no one left to afford Nelson.


The map below shows Rosemont with only two schools connected at $100/mo each to the city.

Again over 10km in city possibly $20-$100,000 per km.

Below is Fairview with no income worth mentioning, City of Nelson taxpayers pay, when Telus and Shaw provide cheaper service.

The city Tourist Park uses Shaw yet the fibre optic cable is up behind them at the hospital?

The city bylaw changed in July to allow residential customers,  but it has no chance to attract customers, one has to just view their pricing structure, its not competitive at all.

Recently 5 trucks with out of town workers were installing fibre optic cable underground to the new Nelson Commons building.  Since they are not competitive residentially, what customer are they serving?  Nelson Commons can get faster service from Shaw for 75% less cost, are there any customers?

UPdate mar. 20/2017  I am still waiting for my FOI request for a detailed invoice for over $35,000 that I think is for this job to run fibreoptic cable from Ward st. to the Commons, how many possible customers at the commons?  Maybe one, ? two?  I can't be sure these pictures below are for nelsonfibre but be assured it would have taken the same workforce.

There is also a $22,000 door in city hall, I am sure it involves the nelsonfibre project, bill signed by the Nelsonfibre IT manager, you can see the invoice at the bottom.

I have to wonder why SD8 hooked up to the city network, must be something behind that, since the schools are still connected as far as I know to the original Provincial network as are all other schools.
What is the connection between the city and SD8?  The school district also bought 10 solar panels in the city solar garden boondoggle.

If you read the city fine print so one could have a server located in the basement of city hall, it makes no sense.  Access is limited to city hours, environment and security is unknown.  Secure servers have security guards, multiple locations to replicate data, are earthquake proof, back up powered, and on and on.  Read the cities requirements below:

The Customer acknowledges that all right, title and interest in the Dark Fibre and
COLO remains with the City and the Customer’s sole right with respect thereto is
to the use of the Dark Fibre and COLO for the duration and upon the terms and
conditions set out in this Bylaw and the approved Application.
3.5 The Customer may use the Service within its normal business operations,
provided that such normal business operations do not include the sale,
exchange, lease or other transfer rights in the Service.
3.6 Except as approved by the City, the Customer may not sublease any rights in the
Service or make the Service available to third parties as Dark Fibre or COLO.
3.7 Where the Customer controls access to premises into which the Dark Fibre is to
be installed, the Customer will do or cause to be done, at its expense and to the
satisfaction of the City, all acts reasonably necessary for the City to obtain such
registrations, permits or approvals as required by the City to access the
Customer’s premises and building fixtures, to install, maintain, repair and relocate
the Dark Fibre and appurtenances as required
(and their first borne?) lol

Here is what the city website is saying, believable?


2. The dark fibre is sustained by revenue earned!



"A recent survey of current clients revealed 100% satisfaction"  

Who did they survey, they must have missed who I spoke with, one said they wouldn't do it again.

And its Shaw who connects their system to the world, so why bother with this middleman?
When Telus gets back to town with their PureFibre broadband, every other town around us has it, just not Nelson, there was some ego contest a while back regarding the city and Telus using the city fibre
Telus left and did everyone else, no they will be here in 2018.  You call Nelsonfibre dark fibre now, it will then become totally blacked out fibre, they will have no customers and who knows how much in wasted infrastructure, maybe $1M?

Nelson fibre is a dead end how did the city ever think it could play in the same sandbox with the big boys of technology?

some comments from the Nelson Tech & Knowledge facebook page

 I started using Nelson Fibre when it first came out. I just recently swapped over Shaw for less money 6x the speeds and unlimited data. I am very happy with the change.



So far fingers crossed Shaw is working. I regularly do speed tests and I am 170+ up and 16+ down


shaw has become very reliable  I consistently get 150 - 170Mbps down and 16Mbps down at my home and 60Mbps down and 6mbps up at the office (which is on a slower plan).

At this point the only reason for FIber is if you have a need for fast upload.


 I suspect we are not getting much of any return on the Nelson Fibre. It would be interesting to see the numbers.

 as a product the city is flogging to end users I see a problem. It is now an inferior product as compared to what is available with Shaw and Telus. I am seeing users unadopt it. So touting it as a wonderful thing in every other newspaper article and what makes us a 21st Century Internet City has a bit of a credibility issue.

 
And the mayor and council talk about unaffordable housing.....

I understand DHC has an exclusive contract to do all Nelsonfibre work.  Does this mean no RFQ's?  I think this should go out for quotes, its taxpayers money being spent here.
The total is over $22,000 there was a previous payment resulting in the balance showing as over $17,000.

I can't be sure if this door is for  Nelson Fibre, my educated guess is its their attempt at creating a secure server site. Since their equipment is in the basement of city hall.

I doubt Nelsonfibre can provide the controlled environment, earthquake proof building, security, backup instant power, hot standby secondary storage instantanteously available in case of a primary failure.  All of that is available from the big boys at google or microsoft for example.  Nelson fibre wants you to pay them for your server space at one rack space for $800/mo.  A rack, 19" wide and usually six feet tall.
Can Nelson fibre provide 24/7/365 local tech support

Can it provide Tier 1, 2, 3 or 4 security backup?

I suspect the client would have to put their UPS battery backup charger and hot standby switchover electronics etc which would all be provided  by the big boys, for example in Calgary, Seattle, Google headquarters, wherever, never seen and guaranteed.  I suspect Nelson is out to lunch and uncompetitive here also.

  Who does this city think it is?  And apparently after the mayors trip to New York City Nelson is now in the top ten running for intelligent communities.   Do those people know what really exists here?

UPDATE June 1, 2017

Castlegar did a survey with their business people about putting in broadband, I can only presume the survey results didn't warrant installing broadband.  Now every resident in the city will have broadband Telus fibre optic to their home for $49.95/mo.

I can't be sure I am comparing apples to apples, but Castlegar has ONE full time IT (information technology) person.  Nelson has FOUR, the manager is getting over $86,000/yr.  UPDATE IN 2016 THAT WENT UP TO OVER $97,000 Yet they don't connect any customers to the internet, its done by your ISP vendor of choice (not Telus or Shaw) but third party vendors who buy from these suppliers and resell.  And Nelson fibre uses Shaw equipment to leave town and enter the internet world.

Did Nelson do a survey to see if Broadband was in demand?  NO, did they think the bakery needed 1GB speeds (500 pages of documents per second transfer rate for example) between the shoe store on Baker?  Because this is the only place its available other than the 10km heading out to the schools who each pay the city $100/mo.  My research suggests one km of fibre optic cable can cost from $20,000 to $90,000, we have over 10km.  The mayor says this saves the city $100,000/yr to hook up  city hall, the works yard and fire hall.   I could put a professional wifi antenna on city hall and see line of sight an antenna on the works yard and city hall and do this for peanuts.  Would the mayor show me how all this saves us $100,000 per year.

I have heard estimates this cost over $2M,  Castlegar has one full time IT person,  Nelson has FOUR.  And they do none of the connecting its done by their exclusive contractor as I understand  DHC Communications of Nelson.

UPDATE NOV 2017

Taking Nelson by storm, no one is participating.

The Intelligent Communities Forum will be naming its Smart21 Communities of 2017 next Wednesday, October 19 during an announcement taking place at the end of Think Canada’s Economic Development Forum in Niagara Falls. Nelson has submitted an application.

b) Broadband-Technology Adoption Mosaic Consulting has been engaged to provide “Broadband for Business in Nelson” a program to help businesses in the Nelson area improve their business performance using technology enabled by broadband communications. Attendance at the workshops was lower than hoped for and produced few candidates for subsequent coaching engagements. Of the three potential candidates that were identified, none have responded to follow up calls and emails. To date only one client has signed up to participate. We have identified a short-list of potential businesses for Mosaic to contact as well as looking at a new name for the pilot. The time-frame for the pilot has been extended to the end of March 2017. Action: Andi to update content and Tom to send out to Chamber members c) City of Nelson Update Tabled. d) Intelligent Community o Application Update Nelson has achieved status at one of the Smart21 communities in the world, and will now proceed to the next level, which is Top 7

How did the local schools become involved in Nelson Fibre?

Do all Nelson city IT employees have qualifying education  backgrounds?