Every Herefordshire Housing tenant to have access to free broadband

10:14am Thursday 10th May 2012 in County By Bill Tanner

Herefordshire Housing has pledged to provide all its tenants with free broadband within five years.

The housing association, that has around 5,500 homes, has teamed up with Whitestone-based Allpay to provide the ambitious scheme.

While Allpay’s background is in social housing payment systems and it has breached out to broadband and recently created Herefordshire's Ofcom-approved broadband network using church steeples as transmitters.

Working together Allpay and Herefordshire Housing are trialling free broadband at speeds of up to 10Mb at three sheltered housing schemes, starting at Innesfield in Clehonger followed by Southgate in Ross Road, Hereford, and Bryngwyn Court, off Barrs Court Road.

“Broadband is increasingly becoming the fourth utility and we want as many of our tenants as possible to benefit from having high speed internet access in their home,” said Herefordshire Housing chief executive Peter Brown.

“Access to the internet can change people’s lives.”

Comments(38)

TwoWheelsGood says...
11:35am Thu 10 May 12

Please tell me, a working tax payer who has never drawn a penny in benefits, why I should subsidise free broadband which I have to pay for? The fourth utility? Then tenants should pay for it in the same way as they have to pay for the other three. This is yet another incentive not to work and should be stopped immediately.

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danforce says...
1:02pm Thu 10 May 12

^ I agree.

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fox103 says...
2:17pm Thu 10 May 12

danforce wrote:
^ I agree.
This is disgraceful; will somebody tell me why I have worked every day of my adult life? What’s next paying for them to have sky TV?

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miss.chief says...
3:17pm Thu 10 May 12

If you read the story properly, it does state that it's for every Herefordshire Housing resident, not especially for people that claim benefits. Many residents of Herefordshire Housing are actually in work.

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oldergit says...
3:45pm Thu 10 May 12

Can I have free broadband please. I am a Herefordshire resident and pay a vast amount in Council Tax. I would like to see my money spent better. Can I renew my Free Parking Ticket?

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drjazz says...
6:43pm Thu 10 May 12

Just another example of a two-tier system. Work hard, buy your own place - get nothing. Rely on the state - get everything on a plate.

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mrslawrence6 says...
6:49pm Thu 10 May 12

'Them' Danforce you sound like we are all animals.

I am a Herefordshire Housing Tenant, no my family arent on benefits, we pay full rent which is just as expensive nowadays as private and full council tax.

No one has asked to have free broadband, and FYI it is a wopping saving of £7.50 a month for myself....wow!!

It is like saying you 'South Side' lot should pay more council tax as the police, fire and ambulance crew are called out to that side of the river.

Never judge a book by a cover, clearly not in some of your comments.

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TwoWheelsGood says...
7:06pm Thu 10 May 12

£7.50 a month x 12 x 5500 houses = £495000 per year - wow indeed. AllPay isn't giving that away - HHA will be paying for it one way or another. Who subsidises HHA - the tax payer. A tenant in private housing would have to pay, no reason at all why housing association tenants should have different rules.

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mrslawrence6 says...
8:49pm Thu 10 May 12

That is what it would cost myself not what they would pay for it.
I am more concerned that they have spent millions on new vans.
Obvious private would have to pay duh!
I have just seen that they charge a £100 set up fee too...ouch.
Im sure the rent inreases for the past two years have helped too, £11 increase per week X 52 =£572 - £90 internet looks like we still pay for it some way, bit like David Cameron give with one hand take with another.

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Lukio says...
8:49pm Thu 10 May 12

If broadband is the '4th utility' then the consumer should be expected to pay for it as they do water, gas and electricity. It's unfair to brand all HH tenants as benefit scroungers as most are not but HH are making a bad move by doing this. I'm not sure what AllPay are getting out of this deal and it would be interesting what Ofcom would say about it.

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CJames says...
7:52am Fri 11 May 12

FREE?? Nothing in life is free, so who is really paying for this? This is being discussed on Belmont Voice http://belmontvoice.
co.uk/index.php?/top
ic/727-every-herefor
dshire-housing-tenan
t-to-have-access-to-
free-br/

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probono says...
9:42am Fri 11 May 12

a Bobandanna idea ? - totally mad ! A few repairs might be better or clearing up some of the gardens

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leftofmoorfarm says...
10:00am Fri 11 May 12

As soon as anyone gets anything "for free" some one else feels cheated.
Broadband should be affordable for all and free for no one. And everyone should have equaly opportunity to work for a decent living.
But, and this is a big but, the current system does not provide work for all or opportunity for all and is far from equal, so we need a safety net.
In my opinion Broadband is still a luxury at home, and should not be free to the consumer - this is not a good policy.

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Biomech says...
10:49am Fri 11 May 12

I read this last night and had every intention of rage facing, but I see so many of you already have.

While I appreciate there is a difference between someone disabled or otherwise reliant on benefits, this is yet another example of handouts for nothing. It's no wonder so many take the handouts approach.

mrslawrence6; you state that council housing is just as expensive as private/agency rental - if so similar, then why should HHA clients get the benefit of free Internet access?

Not only do I have to pay for my Internet, I also have to pay full whack for rent, utilities, council tax, prescriptions etc Surely as I, with MORE expenses to pay should be the one entitled to free DSL

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Biomech says...
10:55am Fri 11 May 12

mrslawrence6 wrote:
That is what it would cost myself not what they would pay for it.
I am more concerned that they have spent millions on new vans.
Obvious private would have to pay duh!
I have just seen that they charge a £100 set up fee too...ouch.
Im sure the rent inreases for the past two years have helped too, £11 increase per week X 52 =£572 - £90 internet looks like we still pay for it some way, bit like David Cameron give with one hand take with another.
And you think private tenants haven't had to incur rent, mortgage and council tax increases on top of paying for all their consumables?

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MissesM says...
12:20pm Fri 11 May 12

This story absolutely disgusted me. If you can't afford such privileges through working for them then why should it be handed out on a silver platter? It undermines the general tax payers effort to work and pay for their own Internet and various other life privileges. This kind of thing is exactly what is wrong with "great" Britain today and as the wife of a soldier I often wonder what my husband and other brave soldiers are fighting for. Unsurprisingly, we have to pay for our own Internet...

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ad47uk says...
1:21pm Fri 11 May 12

I am a HH tenant, and I work and pay rent, I am sorry if I break the illusion of what a lot of people think social housing tenants are like.

As for the free broadband, I can kind of understand them having it put into sheltered housing and places like that but to be honest I don't want it, I got my own broadband, Free broadband will have some limits and no doubt will not be so free.

My father who is also a tenant with HH and have worked all his working life and so did my Mother, will also not be interested in free broadband. He don't even own a computer or any other device that connects to the net.

i think this is just All pay trying to flex their muscles.

Anyway, not everyone will get it unless All pay is going to use fibre or copper connection as their service do not cover the whole county.

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Biomech says...
1:36pm Fri 11 May 12

I think a MUCH better idea is to setup Internet drop in centers so that people who actually can't afford it can go in and use it in pre-determined time slots. It wouldn't be for mincing. It would be for research, checking emails, work, limited timed browsing etc. So that the people who really can't afford it would have access to better themselves and search for jobs etc.

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mrslawrence6 says...
2:00pm Fri 11 May 12

Ad47uk

There are some very small minded people in this world.

It is not saying that everyone claiming benefits are going to have free Internet but people who rent from HH. Big difference!

I'm sure if their landlord offered them free broadband they would not be complaining.

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bikerbill says...
2:18pm Fri 11 May 12

what planet is our council on not the same as hard working people.they waste our money on the cattle market farce,now free broadband about time we stopped paying our council tax till they start to listen to the people of hereford who are becoming second class citizens

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old guy says...
2:54pm Fri 11 May 12

It never ceases to amaze me how much ignorance there is around Herefordshire. Who do the whingers think these 'people on benefits' are? There by the grace of God go any of us, so many have been made redundant recently, and look out if you fall sick, this lot will have you burned at the stake if you try and claim back some of the tax you put into the system over the years. With regards comments such as 'If you can't afford such privileges through working for them then why should it be handed out on a silver platter' - What an insult to the thousands of tenants who work hard to pay their rent and council tax. I wonder if someone knocked on the doors of the whingers above and offered them free broadband if they would turn it down? Seems to me that most of them are just jealous! It's frightening the ignorance of some people!

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Biomech says...
3:46pm Fri 11 May 12

mrslawrence6; but the tax paying public don't subsidise my landlords expenses.

oldguy; No one (I assume) here has a problem with people who get benefits to help them out when they need it. The problem is with people who live of benefits with no intention of bettering themselves of which there ARE a lot that claim housing through HHA. And again, the BIG difference is who pays for it, it this regard the tax payer pays, if my landlord offered free DSL the public wouldn't be expected to pay for it.

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CJames says...
5:46pm Fri 11 May 12

"As soon as anyone gets anything "for free" some one else feels cheated"

____________________
_______
Those who feel cheated are usually the ones paying for it in the taxes!
More on this at www.belmontvoice.co.
uk

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ad47uk says...
10:49am Sat 12 May 12

subsidise schools with my council tax, people who don't work still send their kids to school and yet pay nothing, I subsidise the courtyard and never uses it, I subsidise Halo and all their leisure facilities that I don't use and other people who don't work still uses, sometimes for cheap prices.


Maybe i should pay less council Tax, as I don't uses these facilities .


TBH, I have my doubts that broadband will be free, HH may pay for installation, but I can't see them paying every month and if they did I bet it would be on the minimum speed of 2megabit, I get more than that on my ADSL, just. fibre is coming to Hereford soon, maybe All pay is a bit worried about that.

don't get me wrong, I think all Pay have done a Stirling job getting broadband with a decent speed out to people who would not be able to get it, but their prices compared to normal ADSL is still high. i did look at it myself, as I could then get rid of my phone line, but it would work out more expensive for the speed I want.

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CJames says...
10:25am Sun 13 May 12

Allpay have done a great job, but to be honest they are far too expensive at @29 per mnth for 10mb plus they want £100 installation! and then you have to sign a 2 year contract
Discuss this is detail at
www.belmontvoice.co.
uk

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William Rudd says...
9:14pm Sun 13 May 12

Here we go again.So many small minded dimwits here thinking that most people who are HH tenants are unemployed lay abouts.And for the muppet who moaned about the cattle market site well that will bring over 1,000 much needed new jobs ,most within the 10yr framework.

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Lukio says...
11:47am Mon 14 May 12

@William Rudd - wow, more delusional twaddle from ESG's number one fan! You're the muppet if you think 1000 (yeah right, we'll see) RETAIL jobs will be the saviour of this city. Your tunnel vision is almost as bad as the council's. How can you continually fail to see the bigger picture and the impact this will have on the city as a whole? I will agree with you however on the point you make that all HH tenants are not layabouts and benefit scroungers. So at least we agree on something xxx

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JonnyL says...
1:16pm Mon 14 May 12

The wider context to this story is that the Coalition Government is driving the social housing broadband agenda because they want to encourage tenants to get work by being able to apply for jobs online that aren't necessarily available in their local area.

Here's what (Conservative) Housing Minister Grant Shapps has to say: "I'm calling on every social landlord to look long and hard at how they can help their tenants get online, from offering networks of public internet cafes to providing the technology to log on at home. Internet connectivity should be a necessity, not a luxury, and Government is committed to helping demolish this unacceptable digital divide that is blocking social mobility for millions of council tenants."

What you have to bear in mind is that the Government has no money to spend on this but is urging housing associations to take up the challenge and use their own funding streams to make this possible. It's also worth mentioning that social landlords have seen a massive reduction in the money they get from the state (in excess of 60 per cent), so in actual fact Herefordshire Housing is bucking the trend in providing this service.

Finally, the key word missing from the article is access - the idea is for Herefordshire Housing to work with allpay and other providers on infrastructure. The actual broadband packages on offer will vary.

Jon Land
Editor
24housing magazine

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ad47uk says...
1:23pm Mon 14 May 12

i rather HH do something more useful for its tenants, solar panels would be nice, keep bills down and give HH a bit of income. HH tenants even if they could afford it will not pay to put them on a rented building.

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Biomech says...
1:32pm Mon 14 May 12

Feel free to educate me. But it was/is my understanding that people go to HHA to help them find a place because they are finding it difficult. The primary goals being to find affordable housing that involves some form of tax break, financial assistance?

Somewhere previously posted that HHA rent is pretty much the same as private rental and the council tax is the same.

If this is true and people living in HHA get no benefits what so ever, can someone explain to me why you would want to join a waiting list for basic housing when you could go to the estate agents and rent somewhere within a week? - honest question.

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Lukio says...
7:42pm Mon 14 May 12

@ Jon Land - I'm a little confused....you mention packages so does this mean that BB won't be free and tenants will have to subscribe to a data package with the provider? Also, if HH are funding this would it not make more financial sense to use a fixed line supplier thus making it cheaper and having a vast choice rather than the one wireless option of AllPay? It seems kind of pointless as by the end of the year the county will have Superfast fibre to cabinet BB anyway. Have HH really looked at all the options available so that they can be sure they are getting the best value for money?

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General Cafuffle says...
1:00pm Tue 15 May 12

I think that with broadband, the unemployed will be able to find jobs in other towns.
and f#@ckoff and scrounge there.

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William Rudd says...
3:44pm Tue 15 May 12

Hey Lukio....Lol yeah we will see.

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probono says...
7:43pm Tue 15 May 12

It is always worth reading the minutes of the meetings of the Herefordshire Housing Board of directors to see what is going on. How many of them actually live on an estate or in HA properties I wonder ? Not many methinks

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CJames says...
1:45pm Wed 16 May 12

JonnyL wrote:
The wider context to this story is that the Coalition Government is driving the social housing broadband agenda because they want to encourage tenants to get work by being able to apply for jobs online that aren't necessarily available in their local area.

Here's what (Conservative) Housing Minister Grant Shapps has to say: "I'm calling on every social landlord to look long and hard at how they can help their tenants get online, from offering networks of public internet cafes to providing the technology to log on at home. Internet connectivity should be a necessity, not a luxury, and Government is committed to helping demolish this unacceptable digital divide that is blocking social mobility for millions of council tenants."

What you have to bear in mind is that the Government has no money to spend on this but is urging housing associations to take up the challenge and use their own funding streams to make this possible. It's also worth mentioning that social landlords have seen a massive reduction in the money they get from the state (in excess of 60 per cent), so in actual fact Herefordshire Housing is bucking the trend in providing this service.

Finally, the key word missing from the article is access - the idea is for Herefordshire Housing to work with allpay and other providers on infrastructure. The actual broadband packages on offer will vary.

Jon Land
Editor
24housing magazine
Virtually everyone these days would like to be online, which is fine, but what I find unfair is why some of us have to pay yet others are being offered this service for free (well someone is paying eh...)

Admin
www.belmontvoice.co.
uk

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ArmadilloSackRace says...
2:47pm Wed 16 May 12

Do we really need to see "www.belmontvoice.co
.uk" on every other reply to this article?

Also, I'm not in social housing, pay for my own broadband, have been paying for a mortgage on my own for 10 years, pay thousands in tax and yet I still can't help but feel that the majority of comments here are full of spite from what appear to vile people. There are many things wrong with society, and people like yourselves are one of those things. Terrible attitude to those genuine people who are worse off than yourselves.

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retrexs says...
6:46pm Wed 16 May 12

its crap Allpay shouldnt be allowed to trade BT arent allowed to go around putting giant microwaves on church towers these things are as deadley as 3G Cell sites are completely unlicensed i dont believe Allpay even posses a Class 1 or 2 Telecommunications License?? their network infrastructure is no where near as top notch as BT's ATM/SDH network nor C&W UK IP Fibre backbones most uk ISPS use either of these networks for their Backhaul

you do have to pay for this service dont you its a rip off when compared to TalkTalk,Sky,BT, VM btw all of these are either Class 1 or 2 operators!

Anyway the issue for me is the techonolgy being used our council have systematically failed us allowing Hutchinson 3G UK & Vodafone & Orange to errect cell masts near schools 3G ones are about 10x more powerful than 2G technology and these essentially are microwaves not good for your brain check out the Chris Busby Foundation on youtube for more info on how bad Cellular & Radio technology is

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retrexs says...
6:55pm Wed 16 May 12

only the city is to recieve FTCC and its harldy superfast not when everyone else gets it we already have it in Worcester City

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