THE RISE - John Henry Group · Photograph of Malcolm Corbett and INCA logo appear courtesy of the...

COMMUNIC AJohn Henry Issue No.5

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THE STORY OF HOW GIGACLEAR BECAME THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT

RURAL PURE FIBRE PROVIDER

OFRISE

By Mike SurreyInterim Chief Executive Officer

Gigaclear

Plus:DATA DANGERS / OVERHEAD’S CONTRIBUTION TO FTTx / GEOSPATIAL AWARENESS

IF YOU like your history, you might know that about 240 something years ago, the UK underwent an, or rather, ‘the’ industrial revolution. Britain became pioneers of industry and at the time, technology development.During that period, cities developed from the investment and opportunity in industry and science and people migrated from the countryside to live and work in areas like London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.Technology and infrastructure begat what we know now as globalisation, that is the global network of trade and brand influence across the world, beyond borders and restrictions.Although the glory days of the British Empire are long behind us, we’re

potentially on the verge of enabling a massive change in philosophy in both the way we approach our personal and business lifestyles of the future - a kind of reverse revolution if you like.Whereas Britain’s industrial revolution meant people needed to move from rural areas into cities to work or do business, future connectivity agendas and the advancement of technology might mean entirely the opposite.The city lifestyle is exhausting, to the extent where most people retain rural properties to escape it, or they live outside of the city because the property prices in the urban areas are extortionate.The advent of rural ‘Ultrafast’ broadband, that

is to say, pure fibre connections will probably allow more people to connect to services remotely and even start up businesses at home, from remote locations.At the moment, a sizeable portion of rural areas of the UK can’t get Ultrafast broadband connections but ambitious plans to deliver fibre to the premises across the UK and one of the companies doing this is Oxfordshire based Gigaclear, which has emerged from a start-up business, to become the UK’s largest independent fibre provider rurally, bringing much-needed connectivity to these areas.So, whereas during the industrial revolution everyone left the countryside to work in the city - could the advent of ultrafast broadband in rural areas ultimately mean quite the opposite?

Rob AndrewsCOMMUNICA Creative Editor

COMMUNIC AJohn Henry Issue No.5

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THE STORY OF HOW GIGACLEAR BECAME THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT

RURAL PURE FIBRE PROVIDER

OFRISE

By Mike SurreyInterim Chief Executive Officer

Gigaclear

Plus:DATA DANGERS / OVERHEAD’S CONTRIBUTION TO FTTx / GEOSPATIAL AWARENESS

EDITOR

RECOGNISING RURAL’S REVERSE‘REVOLUTION’

^ Above, Gigaclear Interim Chief Executive Officer, Mike Surrey, tells the company’s story.

COMMUNICA | Issue Five

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John Henry Group(Head Office)The SidingsLongstantonCambridgeCambridgeshireCB24 3DS

T 01954 288011E [email protected] johnhenrygroup.co.uk

Production Staff:Creative Editor/Content Rob AndrewsSub Editor/Photographic and Proof StagesOfori Canacoo

John Henry Group logo and strap-line ‘30 years of Engineering Excellence’ are commercial property of John Henry Group. Geo-sight and associated marker branding is property of Cardinalis Developments Ltd.All reports were assumed accurate at the time of publication and are delivered without prejudice, with positive interest.Group

John Henry

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All pictures by COMMUNICA photographers and are subject to copyright. Special picture credits to Gigaclear for selected photos of Mike Surrey and Gigaclear vehicles in The Rise of Rural feature. Data photo in the Data Dangers feature from stock imagery on Photobox. Wrapping machine image in Adding Value From Overhead feature by JayareUK (Photo taken during cable installation) and featured on Wikipedia. Matt Cole photograph submitted by Prettys Solicitors and used with permission. Photograph of Malcolm Corbett and INCA logo appear courtesy of the Independent Networks Co-operative Association and used with permission. All other images are property of John Henry Group Ltd.

COMMUNICA | Issue Two

COMMUNICA ISSUE FIVE: SPECIAL PICTURE CREDITS AND THANKS

WHAT’S INSIDE?06 | HIGHLIGHTSNews briefing and highlights from across the John Henry Group.

09 | DIGITAL DIGESTCOMMUNICA’s editorial team shares our suggestions for download in music and film

10 | VIEWPOINT: COMPLETING CONNECTIONSA brief overture to 5G in the UK with editor Rob Andrews.

12 | MOVING PICTURES: GEOSPATIAL AWARENESSDigital technology is improving accuracy and speed during the network planning and development stage.

22 | THE RISE OF RURALGigaclear Interim Managing Director Mike Surrey outlines how the business has grown to become the largest rural fibre provider in UK.

32 | REACHING NEW HEIGHTSExploring how overhead pylons are supporting the rollout of next generation networks.

42 | DATA DANGER?Digital legal expert Matthew Cole outlines the dangers of managing personal data online and explores life after GDPR.

50 | FINAL THOUGHTINCA Chairman Malcolm Corbett introduces how Alt-Nets are conglomerating to help deliver Britain’s independent network footprint.

^ A John Henry Group overhead engineer scales a mock-up pylon during a specialist ‘working at height’ training course in Staffordshire, UK.

Below: Digital Surveying and Geospatial mapping


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HIGHLIGHTS

CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM – Construction has started on the expansion of existing training facilities at John Henry Group’s Cambridge head offices.The sizeable new outdoor training area will enable the business to provide advanced training for all works on telecommunications projects, including further HSEQ training and accreditations in line with the BT industry standards.It means that engineers from across the John Henry Group’s UK footprint will now be able to receive the latest training in specialist areas and company innovations from in-house experts – such as confined space training, fibre splicing and cable works and advanced HSEQ training.“The outdoor training area is an added facility which will expand upon our already newly refurbished training centre,” said John Henry Group’s Head of Learning and Development, Sara Laver.

“We are really excited to be able to offer this facility to ensure the practical and theory-based training our people receive impacts positively on our workstreams, ensuring safety, quality and commerciality for our clients is maintained.“The introduction of the outdoor training area fits perfectly with our company values of ‘Excellence’, ‘Together’ and ‘Forward Thinking’.”Works are due to finish around the end of June.

John Henry Group news briefing

Construction begins on expandedoutdoor training facilities

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A six month project is underway to completely redevelop the John Henry Group website as part of a new digital brand plan which has already seen the redesign and increase in frequency of social media content posting.The project is being led by the group marketing and communications team and is set to last until the end of Summer 2018, when the site will go live.

“The John Henry Group has celebrated major growth in the past few years and this has led to the need to grow and develop business in new and existing markets,” said Head of Marketing Operations, Rob Andrews.

“The need to be able to project new ideas, content and thoughtleadership online has become increasingly important if this is to happen, our current website does not afford us the opportunity to do this - but our new site certainly will do.”

Group marketing team undertakes new website development project


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New vision ensures customer centric operations model

United Kingdom - John Henry Group unveiled a new strategic vision in February, which included our new company values and our proposal to transition to a new Target Operating Model (TOM) – a new company structure.The objective of delivering a new TOM was part of a wider initiative to future-proof our business infrastructure enabling us to continue to deliver a best in class service experience for all our clients.You may already be aware that the John Henry Group has enjoyed considerable growth of 33% year-on-year for the past two years – the implementation of our new TOM will ensure we have the foundations to manage our existing commitments to our clients, provide the platform for continued growth and invest in the development of our people reinforcing the values of the John Henry Group: Excellence, Forward-Thinking and Together.To achieve this, we undertook a period of consultation with our staff, mapping our existing staff members to new roles within the TOM, reflective of their skills and expertise. Following completion of the consultation period the Leadership team confirmed their intentions to proceed with the changes and we are now actively transitioning to the new operating model.TOM will ensure the introduction of specialist programme directors and account managers to oversee networks rollout and work schedules for the delivery, maintenance and upgrade of next generation infrastructure, which will support with the objective of

offering a heightened service experience for our partner clients. We will continue to support the development and promotion of our existing staff in addition to actively utilising the external market to further strengthen the skills and expertise we have within the John Henry Group. The announcement also saw the introduction of new key members of management within the business, such as our new Group Client Director, Phil Stewart, pictured below.Phil joins from energy services company Centrica where he was Head of UK Customer Service for the past three years, leading more than 650 people across operations and customer services.“I’m looking forward to ensuring our customers are centric to our business delivery model and will responsible for managing all of our client accounts within the John Henry Group across our sector portfolios in telecoms.”Watch our Q&A video with Phil on the John Henry Group website at Johnhenrygroup. co.uk/news. You can also download a copy of our values and our operating model online in the same section.

< Phil Stewart has joined John Henry

Group as our Group Client Director

JoiningINCA

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - Brentwood Office Supervisor John Reilly has been celebrating winning the annual Rewarding Excellence Initiative Award title, after being drawn as the winner of the annual prize draw.John, who was voted as the winner for the month of June in the monthly scheme by his colleague Vlad Stroe, has been crowned as the overall yearly champion after being drawn in a special prize draw against the other 11 competitors who were also nominated as this year’s monthly winners by other colleagues.John has been with John Henry Group for 18 years and has become a key member of the construction teams working from our Brentwood Office, which is part of the John Henry Group London and Home Counties

operation.Group CEO Pat Henry, who pulled John’s name from the hat, said of John’s award: “John is very much a deserved winner of the Rewarding Excellence Award.“He is one of those people who helps people but in a very quiet and understated manner his nomination was very popular with the people in the London office - I remember when the award came in - it was reflected in the words written by his nominator.”“This award really is worthwhile and it is great to see some of the comments attached to the nominations with our staff living the values in the business.“I’d like to thank everyone who has taken part and nominated colleagues over the course of the past year and I would encourage everyone within the business to support the award going forward.

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John wins annual excellenceaward title

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - John Henry Group officially joined the Independent Networks Co-operative Association in November, 2017.The organisation’s membership includes the majority of the UK’s alternative and independent networks (Alt-Nets), which are fibring up the areas of the UK which have not yet been serviced by major network providers.Alt-Nets currently make up around one million of the customer connections in the United Kingdom which are serviced by ‘pure fibre’ networks.

^Read more : INCA Chairman Malcolm Corbett talks to COMMUNICA later in this issue about the impact of Alt-Nets in telecoms.


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DigestWhat’s on the COMMUNICA playlist this past quarter? Here’s our soundbite roundup of digital music and film we like, that’s

now available to download.

DIGITAL

Listen

Black Panther (2018)Chadwick Boseman plays Prince T’Challa, the film’s eponymous Heart-Shape-Herb powered super hero with a suit made from the fictitious hypermetal Vibranium.Set in the fictitious hidden African country of Wakanda, the film was another huge box office hit for the Marvel Studios’ and follows instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) which brought us Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and Thor.Black Panther sets up the MCU ahead of the much-anticipated Avengers: Infinity War, the next instalment in the current 19 film catalogue. Watch out for: actors, Danai Gurira (Walking Dead), Forest Whitaker (Taken 3/Last King of Scotland), Martin Freeman (Hobbit). We think: 8/10

<Led Zeppelin: How The West Was Won (2018 Remaster)Arguably rock’s tallest of trees, Led Zeppelin, return remastered, with How The West Was Won. This is a re-release of their legendary live recordings from Los Angeles Forum and Long Beach Arena on June 25 and 27, 1972. A five-star live experience we’re all too young to regret not experiencing. We think: 10/10

Stranger Things>Netflix has spent a lot of time developing its own-made catalogue of film and programme content. Sci-Fi Thriller Stranger Things is a fantastic series set in the early 1980s and its soundtrack is very nostalgic, featuring a compilation of rock and pop classics from the same era. Standout artists: The Police, Scorpions, Toto, Duran Duran, The Clash, The Bangles and Joy Division. We think: 8/10

<Reggae DancehallAs you’d expect from albums in the Ministry of Sound catalogue, this compilation features some fantastic beats for the summer sunshine. Reggae Dance Hall probably has a tune for all listeners too, spanning from Reggae icon Bob Marley, through to the more modern Dance-Reggae beats of Sean Paul.We think: 8/10

Watch

Download recommendations compiled by Rob Andrews and Ofori Canacoo for COMMUNICA Magazine. Picture credits edited from material owned by COMMUNICA staff.

< Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther

We Love

EARLIER in June, some of the leading designers, builders, product retailers and delivery partners from across telecommunications gathered for two days at the Connected Britain event to discuss the nation’s fibre optic future.Despite the rhetoric around the challenges of the final phases of delivery of broadband in the UK and overcoming the barriers to build the next generation of networks, there was also a clear focus on the development of the Internet of Things or IoT - that, by definition is, technology which relies upon being ‘online’ to support it.IoT will change everything and the potential next generation (full fibre) networks will form an important part of the connectivity as to how it’s supported.IoT has already changed the way we access content through mobile devices, down to the way we order food and interact with each other - it has changed our product and service interface and heightened our interactive experiences with retailers and service providers.This experience is growing and evolving into an online ecosystem.In its advent, one such example suggested at Connected Britain, was how Domino’s Pizza has achieved its target of eclipsing nearest rival Pizza Hut in sales by using technology connected to the IoT environment, utilising the internet to increase brand interaction with its customers - if you’ve ordered a pizza online, you’ll know what I mean - you can literally track it going into and out of the oven and to your

doorstep.To do this Domino’s changed its corporate vision to become “as much of a technology company” as it was a pizza and fast food provider.Similarly, Netflix has changed the way ‘TV’ as we know it is delivered to the consumer - content is now streamed, not broadcast. In fact, as of 2017, Netflix users collectively watched 1bn hours of content per week.This is just the beginning of change.At a similar event in May, hosted by the Independent Networks Co-Operative Association (INCA) a similar message explored future concepts of 5G and its impact on our day-to-day lives.Not only will 5G deliver gargantuan speeds but it will enable sci-fi-esque thought possible only as a precursor to science fact.Automated vehicles available to ‘order’ from an app on your phone will transport you to your destination and advanced smart cities will broadcast traffic, weather and pollution reports in real time to your handset or device.Mobile operators agree that 5G is just around the corner.But with less than 3% FTTP and limited access to dark fibre available in the UK, there are still many challenges to overcome - wayleaves and access to ark fibre being two examples.If Britain is to assert itself to enjoy a reputation once celebrated as a doyen in the development and purveying of telecommunications technology, these issues must first be overcome if we are to deliver a 5G future of exciting tech.

COMPLETING CONNECTIONS

Viewpoint

An overture to a 5G future. By Rob Andrews at Connected Britain 2018


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^ An example of the panel members at the Connected Britain event, discussing next generation infrastructure in the United Kingdom.

MOVINGPICTURES

Technology is playing a major part in the survey and planning process of infrastructure rollout. COMMUNICA Magazine explores how John

Henry Group’s new digital survey 4x4 vehicle is adding a major dimension to the design and build process.

Words: Rob AndrewsPhotographic: Ofori Canacoo

Geospatial


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On the prowl... The Trimble MX7 has been fitted to a Ford KUGA

SUV vehicle.


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The ways in which broadband networks are being built is forever benefiting from new technologies to speed up construction

output and, with the announcement by the Government that its aspiration is for providers to have reached half of the UK homes by 2025, there is a serious task at hand to be able to deliver the network as quickly as possible.An important part of the delivery of any project is planning and design - broadband networks are no different.If this phase of the project is wrong, commercial models and investment cases can fall to pieces if the measurements don’t add up.The race is also on to get infrastructure into the ground, either to beat the competition to the end user, or to reduce costs by building quicker.Advancements in technology now mean that the way networks are surveyed and designed mean that near-unimaginable, powerful technologies are being used to survey the area ahead of any build process.Whereas in a previous life, a survey would need to be conducted on foot, with measuring equipment, advancements to near-space age technology means that surveys can be effectively completed in a matter of minutes.A casing point of how things have changed, even in the last couple of years, is the introduction of digital survey equipment.John Henry Group has purchased a roof-mounted Trimble camera which allows the group survey teams to drive down the road and digitally capture and measure the entire street scene in just a few mo-ments.The camera is mounted onto a Ford KUGA sports utility vehicle (SUV).Mounted on the roof-rack, the camera, which is manufactured by American specialist photographic technology provider Trimble, takes multiple pictures at once, similar to a Google ‘street view’ camera.Readers may be familiar with Google Earth and

“An important part of any project is the planning and

design, broadband networks are no different”

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TRIMBLE

From its Californian headquarters, Trimble has a global reach, providing products to many major building and surveying enterprises across the globe.The company’s humble beginnings can be traced back to 1978 when Charles Trimble left computer and technology firm, Hewlett Packard, initially opening its first office in Los Altos, California. Later moving to Sunnyvale, California,

Trimble now makes Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, laser range-finders, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), inertial navigation systems and a variety of software processing tools. By the end of 2016, the company had 8388 employees, with more than half of employees in locations outside the United States.Since 1999, Trimble’s revenues have grown from approximately $270 million to over $2 billion in 2012.The company has purchased a number of state-of-the-art technologies from companies including Google.

TECHCelebrating 40 years of trading in 2018, Trimble has grown from a start up business to a major provider of mapping and surveying equipment.

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The Trimble camera can be deployed by bolting the technology to the roof of the KUGA.


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Google Maps - both feature a ‘street view’ mode where, at street level, the viewer can move up and down the road to see homes, trees and any other object in the vicinity.The Trimble camera works in a very similar fashion to record and measure the street scene as part of the process of mapping out the street view, ahead of any potential utilities or construction works.“The technology is fantastic, it allows for some of the most accurate mapping of the street and the surroundings before we even start to move on any construction, or next stages,” said Mick Webb, one of John Henry Group’s Programme Directors, who has been overseeing the implementation of the technology into the John Henry Group workstreams.“We’re able to map the entire surroundings with the Trimble camera at a fraction of the cost of the traditional planning methods used.“It also means we can perform surveying much, much quicker than with a measure technician and the accuracy is brilliant.“The fact that the images captured from the Ford KUGA SUV are digital, means that we can upload entire street images to a hard drive back at John Henry Group head office before we get started on the planning for where the fibre route could go - from here, we are able to insert route maps and design a superbly accurate as-built for our clients.”Once back at John Henry Group head office specially modified computers have been upgraded to allow digital mapping of the photographed route to be analysed, providing a full Google-like street view of the route for the design and build teams to analyse.“We’ve also noticed that the footage is helpful to mitigate against risks, particularly fixed penalty notices (FPNs).“This means that pictures which have been captured before and after works by our survey vehicle allow us to plot and portray where we have been working and evidence good working practice as to how we may have left the street scene.”

The survey team is working in conjunction with the John Henry Group national planning teams, both based at the company’s national planning office near Brighton and at several regional offices in Cheshire, London, Cambridgeshire and Berkshire.As well as offering the survey vehicle with its turnkey solution, John Henry Group is also able to deliver a purpose-driven survey and design solution on a consultancy basis.For more information on the survey vehicle, visit Johnhenrygroup.co.uk or search for the survey vehicle on YouTube. You can also watch more by scanning the QR code below and see the vehicle in action on your smart phone or tablet device.

Once footage and pictures have been taken in the field, the images can be analysed and transferred to ‘as-builts’ in the office

“The fact that the images captured are digital means we can upload entire images from

the street-scene”


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Scan here to see it in action in video

Watch

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Gigaclear’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, Mike

Surrey, tells the story about how the company has

emerged to become the UK’s largest independent rural

network provider.

THE

RURAL


RISE OF

> Mike Surrey

Contributed by Mike Surrey, with Rob Andrews,

COMMUNICA Creative Editor

Gigaclear


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It told the story of our early days starting in 2010, when our founder, Matthew Hare, was a sole trader. It went on to document our evolution and how our growth since then has been astonishing. The speed at which we deploy our network is increasing with every passing year. At the heart of our business, and a major reason for our growth, is the struggle that UK rural communities face with sub-par connectivity - we strongly believe that they are entitled to access the fastest speeds in the country, rather than miss out just because of where they happen to live. The simple fact is that a lack of connectivity has a detrimental impact on the growth of the UK economy, severely hindering local businesses and the day-to-day lives of those in rural areas.Whilst we are now seeing a shift towards prioritising Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP), we have a long journey ahead of us in order to connect all 4.2million rural properties in the UK onto a full fibre network. The telecoms industry has barely scraped the surface so far, but that’s rapidly changing as businesses like ours get faster and more efficient.

The Gigaclear journeySo how did we get here? Living in rural Oxfordshire, Matthew saw the problems that rural homes and businesses had in getting access to fast, reliable internet connections. The problems stemmed from the very long lengths of copper cables in rural areas but were made worse by the fact that other network operators chose to focus investment on towns and cities where the majority of their customers were located. Having sold his previous communications business,

he saw the opportunity to use new full fibre network technologies, where distance has no impact on performance, to deliver an FTTP service with speeds of up to 1,000Mbps (1Gbps).Our first FTTP deployments were in the communities of Appleton, Eaton and Besselsleigh in Oxfordshire. The overwhelmingly positive response from these communities as we rolled out our service was evidence enough to illustrate the positive impact that fast internet access could have on the lives of those living and working in these rural areas.Since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength. In 2014, we secured our first government subsidised project to build a full fibre network to communities in West Oxfordshire. This was subsequently opened by the Prime Minister (and local MP at the time,) David Cameron. He praised our efforts, commenting that locals suddenly had better broadband than he had in Downing Street. He said: “This is a great advertisement of how a small community can come together with the help of the Government’s Rural Community Broadband Fund to get some of the fastest broadband in the country brought directly to their homes. “A huge congratulations to all involved and I would encourage everyone to take up this opportunity.”

TWO years ago, the Daily Telegraph compared Gigaclear to the big players, such as BT Openreach and Virgin Media.

“David Cameron praised our efforts - locals had better broadband than he did in Downing Street”


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Gigaclear is targeting new rural communities for broadband - pictured here is a survey vehicle in front of the Clifton Suspension bridge


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This marked the first of many subsidised project wins, with Gigaclear regularly working with the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) rural broadband programme, targeting areas where BT was unable to provide superfast or ultrafast broadband. To date, Gigaclear has won 19 contracts, which has supported our expansion and helped us to reach an increasing number of under-served rural communities.A further milestone in 2014 saw Gigaclear secure its first institutional investor, Woodford Investment Management. This was just the start of our journey, enabling us to secure millions of pounds of investment from external partners over the past four years. This includes a notable major investor which specialises in infrastructure projects, Infracapital, who until that point, had only invested in the big players in the market. For us, this provided a clear validation in our strategy and vision for the future. These investments have allowed us to strengthen

our business, expand our networks and build our relationships throughout the industry. Securing numerous contractors, including John Henry Group, to deliver each build, has enabled us to share our vision and bring like-minded companies on board. This helps us deliver ultrafast connectivity throughout rural UK, reaching over 200 communities in 24 counties to date. To map each build and carry out the work, we are constantly innovating and developing to ensure advanced techniques are used. A clear example of this is utilising an innovative technique many contractors will be familiar with, called Narrow Trenching. This enables fibre optic cables to be installed in trenches narrower than those used conventionally, allowing the network to be deployed up to five times faster than traditional construction methods. In addition, this methodology reduces costs and lessens both the impact of construction on local roads and disruption to local traffic.

“To map each build and carry out the work, we are constantly innovating and developing to ensure advanced techniques are used”


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Secondly, we have also now started using innovative LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to map and design full fibre networks. This technology gives us a pin-point accurate and up-to-date three-dimensional view of where we are going to build from which they can clearly see surface types and even the scars in the road left by other utilities so we can better plan to avoid them. With each new project, we learn and adapt our processes, automating our operation. This makes each build more predictable, which ensures that the network designs are increasingly accurate every time, saving both time and money.

Looking to the futureSignificant progress has been made and we have now reached 64,000 homes and businesses, and connected our 15,000th customer. But this is not enough. Our vision is that every rural property in the UK should be able to enjoy a full fibre connection by 2030. That will mean massive investment in fibre networks and an end to the patching and repairing of centu-ry-old copper lines. Gigaclear definitely can’t meet that whole challenge on our own, but there’s widespread agreement, across government and the telecoms industry, that

this is exactly what needs to happen.For now, our immediate plans are to connect 150,000 customers by 2020 – and we’re on track to achieve that. Whilst our business goes from strength to strength, we keep our long-term vision firmly front of mind.Imagine if every home, in every town, village or hamlet – no matter how rural – had connection to ultrafast full fibre broadband. Imagine if every tiny primary school in the country-side had access to all of the digital resources that their bigger cousins in major cities enjoy. Imagine if every small business enjoyed an internet connection that enabled them to compete with their urban rivals, rather than endure lengthy commutes to work alongside them. That’s the Gigaclear vision, and we believe it will become a reality by 2030.

“Our vision is that every rural property in the UK should be able to enjoy a full fibre connection by 2030”

John Henry Group has been building Gigaclear’s rural network in Northampton, providing both fibre services and construction techniques.


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ADDING

How could overhead power lines assist with the rollout of next generation infrastructure in the United Kingdom?

VALUE FROMOVERHEAD

In focus

Words: Rob Andrews, written with overhead fibre engineer, Phil Spriggs.


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Looming over terrain, the giant lattice structures which traverse the countrysides and cities of many of the world’s developed countries are responsible for powering homes and businesses alike.In England and Wales, National Grid owns the electricity transmission system (NETS) and the gas transmission system in Great Britain (NTS). According to National Grid statistics, NETS consists of approximately 7,200 kilometres (4,474 miles) of overhead line,

1,500 kilometres (932 miles) of underground cable and 342 substations. Whilst pylons are able to support the UK power infrastructure and are common in many areas of Great Britain, it’s little-known that some of these pylons are also carrying other utilities assets, such as fibre optic cables which are assisting in providing some of the vital backbones to next generation infrastructure in the UK.The technique to deliver fibre on the overhead network is a highly

Overhead fibre engineers are able to

run fibre optic cable from a ground based

network up an HV pylon and onto the

‘earthed’ wire.

Health and safety is paramount

throughout the climb experience, with a

strict enforcement of harnesses and PPE

being adopted.

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specialist skill, which can take a considerable amount of time to train and qualify to undertake from an engineer’s perspective - and you’ll also need a head for heights if you’re going to make your way up the 100ft towers with the cable - although 400kV pylons can reach over 200m in the United Kingdom, on the Thames Crossing.The idea of attaching cable to pylons was first conceived and deployed in the UK and Japan in the 1980s.In the UK, the first installation took place on a 33kV overhead

distribution line between sub-stations at Hartley and Goudhurst in Kent, UK in December 1982. Today, engineers work with the assistance of wrapping and de-wrapping equipment, which enables them to effectively deploy an automated machine on the earthed wire of the pylon which will make its way between pylons to wrap and unwrap fibre optic cable around the wire - the first process to achieve this was actually featured on the discontinued BBC television programme Tomorrow’s World in 1985, when the

“You’ll need a head for heights if you’re going to make your way up the 100ft-tall pylon, especially if it’s in bad weather”


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That

’s a

wra

p A de-wrapping machine is deployed to place ‘wrap’ fibre cable around the earth wire at the top of the power line.

The same type of machine can also unwrap the fibre cable once it’s no longer needed. Each machine is operated remotely by a fibre engineer from the top of the pylon’s structure and crawls along the wire to wrap and unwrap the cable, suspended from the cable above the landscape.


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Training and HSEQ is paramount in the delivery of overhead networks. Each engineer must attend a specialist climbing course before working in the vicinity of the powerline.

Pictured here, John Henry Group training staff are completing a climbing exercise on a mock-up pylon in Staffordshire and are hanging off of the pylon’s arm to retrieve a flag. The picture gives a flavour of the heights involved.

On top of this, John Henry Group engineers hold qualifications including PRINCE2, National Grid Competent Person NSI4: Working on OHL 132kV, 275kV and 400kV, NSI6: Demarcation in sub stations/working on or near equipment in sub stations, NSI8: Safe use of MEWPs, Lorry Loaders, Vehicles, Cranes and Objects in a Sub Station. HSG47: identification of U/G apparatus.


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programme showed the technology successfully wrapping fibre optic cable around powerlines at height, under the supervision of a specialist engineer.Increased deployment of fibre on overhead pylons is becoming much more commercially attractive to internet service providers (ISPs) and network operators, says John Henry Group overhead expert, Mick Ellis, who has 15 years’ experience of working to manage

and deliver major overhead projects across the UK.“Civil engineering works aren’t actually always the most commercially viable way to deploy fibre in the UK,” he said.“The rising costs of materials and labour to lay fibre optic cables in the street both in urban and rural environments mean that alternative method should and often are, sought by the providers to deploy the main back-haul of fibre cable in the UK.Some suppliers of power in the

UK, have also sought to diversify their market offering to deliver fibre optic-based services to their customers too, so utilising overhead pylons is proving commercially cost-effective as an existing asset to host the required communications infrastructure.“Where it may cost network operators to deliver a civils solution at a significant price, the cost of wrapping fibre on utility infrastructure can sometimes be a more viable option across longer distances - it’s also quicker and


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Safety harnesses and regular checks

are conducted before climbing the towers.

The projects are also subject to strict

risk assessment management (RAMs)

which ensure safety and risk are

highlighted and mitigated at all times.Currently John Henry

Group maintains 280km of overhead

line wrap fibre optics on 132kV in East Anglia, as well as

having National Grid substation competent

people enabling engineers to install

telecommunications cables within the high

voltage compound.

Kit

Che

ck


| 41

carries less commercial risk than digging up the ground in areas that are highly populated or near roads that have high volumes of traffic.But with the delivery of all infrastructure projects, HSEQ and project management control are both essential, especially when working in the vicinity of 132kV to 275kV and 400kV pylons - these pylons should be treated with huge respect,” Mick said.“They carry substantial amounts of electricity so you should ensure

you maintain the mandatory required safety distances as required by National Grid.“In order to work on these networks engineers are required to have a very strong knowledge of fibre optics, but also you need to know your HSEQ and you need to be able to work within the guidelines of National Grid approved working environments.“Engineers must also complete strict climbing courses before they can go anywhere near pylons.“This makes the expertise pool

of our profession very niche and there are very few people able to deliver this kind of service in the UK, particularly with the specialist equipment required to wrap and unwrap the fibre cable on the pylons.“John Henry Group is in a strong position to be able to offer the civils connection to the pylon, whilst also offering skills required to complete the solution on the utility network itself, safely, for our clients, as well as the supporting civils and cabling solutions.”

dangers


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dataGDPR

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dangersWHAT ARE THE LEGAL CHALLENGES OF STORING PERSONAL DATA IN THE 21ST CENTURY?


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Legal digital data expert Matthew Cole from law firm Prettys outlines the rules and challenges of life after GDPR.

Truth is, there was never going to be a revolution - GDPR is a logical progression in data management; not a whole new way of doing things. Many of the concepts within GDPR have existed in the UK since 1984, and across the EU since 2005. What the GDPR really represents is a wake up call: data is important; its misuse can have serious consequences, and that needs to be recognised in the regulatory framework. So, GDPR represents a great big stick that regulators - in the UK the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) - and data subjects – all of us – can use to beat those who misuse our data. And it seems to be working: data protection is now a board level concern for the first time in many organisations; the recent deluge of consent requests was largely unnecessary and annoying, but it demonstrated an awareness for data compliance not seen before. So, some positives, perhaps. However, there are some real negatives. GDPR is a complex and uncertain piece of legislation, which may catch out those who want to do the right thing. So, where are the bear traps for the unwary?

Not understanding what data you holdPreparing for GDPR (and it is still not too late to prepare – think of the 25th May 2018 as a milestone in the journey, rather than the destination) is a great opportunity to audit and understand what data you hold. Indeed, it is impossible to become GDPR compliant without having catalogued your data: think about what is held on PC desk-tops, or in sub-sub-sub folders on Outlook.

Think about that spreadsheet that you emailed to your personal email account so that you could work on it at home. What about memory sticks….and old Palm-pilots buried in desk draws? What about your Dropbox accounts, your Mailchimp lists, your Microsoft Sharepoint documents, those CVs from unsuccessful candidates that you’re keeping just-in-case? The list is endless. Many of us will be finding dusty bits of data, like pound coins down the back of the sofa, for many years to come. This, then, is the first challenge of digital data – just how much of it there is. It’s everywhere, and it is so easy to generate it, and copy it, and share it, and post it, and store it and…and…in fact the hardest thing to do with it is dispose of it. So we don’t. But GDPR requires that we minimise the amount of data we process, and that we hold it only for so long as we need it. If we reduce the amount of data we have, and seek to only keep what is relevant for so long as it is relevant, then our lives will become a lot easier, because we will be able to understand our data better. Once we understand it, we can use it in the right way.

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“GDPR is a logical progression in data management; not a whole new way of doing things”


The 25th May has come and gone without the sky falling in. We were told that GDPR would lead to a revolution in the way in which personal data is used, but it looks like the revolution has been postponed.

COMMUNICA | Pilot Edition

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Big Data FootprintData is being collected online from smartphones, browsers and through mail subscriptions.

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Not knowing why you have itPersonal data can only be processed if there is a lawful basis for doing so. There are only six lawful bases – consent; performance of a contract; compliance with a legal obligation; performance of a public function (if you are a public authority); protecting the vital interests of the data subject; or if you have another “legitimate interest” (a wide category that can cover most of the things that a business may want to do to promote or protect itself). Whilst these lawful bases have been around since 1998, many organisations are just beginning to focus on why they process certain types of data. Answering this question is a really important part of becoming GDPR compliant, because you have to tell others why you process it.

Not being transparent about data usageGDPR proceeds on the philosophy that our personal information belongs to us. We may allow organisations to use that information, but we are entitled to be told what they are processing and why they are processing it. This obligation to explain what organisations do with personal data goes much further than the template privacy policies on websites that we all ignore. A properly compliant privacy notice needs careful crafting. It is self evident that, if an organisation does not know what it processes, and why, then it cannot explain that to the data subject. This is one reason why it is so important to understand how your organisation uses data. The privacy information notices that we are now expected to issue need to be detailed, and genuinely reflect what we do with data. They need to set out the lawful basis for processing and the rights that all data subjects have. Accuracy is important, but can only be achieved if you have audited your data in the first place, and established the lawful basis for that processing.

Not understanding who you are sharing data withOrganisations need to share data: payroll data with HMRC; claims-related data with insurers; credit card

details with financial processors; delivery addresses with logistics companies. Do we have a good reason (a lawful basis) for sharing this data? How safe will the recipient keep it? Data is extremely easy to share, but it is our responsibility to share responsibly. Even if we have a good reason for sharing, are we satisfied that the recipient will keep it safe? Are we satisfied that they will only use it for the purposes for which we have provided it to them? GDPR makes this our responsibility, and we have to have in place a proper audit trail justifying the decisions that we have taken. Modern technology has also made it easy for us to use third party vendors for various processing activities: our accountant processes our payroll; Amazon hosts our data processing in the Cloud; our vehicles are fitted with trackers which are monitored by a third party.

“Data is extremely easy to share, but it is our responsibility to share responsibly”

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GDPR does not prevent us from using these providers, but it does seek to ensure that we have identified them, and put in place appropriate and binding contractual obligations to keep that data safe. Identifying the myriad processors used by modern organisations, and then ensuring that appropriate terms are in place with them, is an important step towards GDPR compliance.

Not keeping data securePersonal data is described as being one of the most valuable commodities in the 21st Century. It has a value, and therefore many rogues want to get their hands on it. Data is a highly portable commodity, and so if it is not kept secure then it can be stolen, used, monetised and sold on again all before the legitimate holder has even realised that the data has been accessed. GDPR requires all organisations to keep the personal data entrusted to it secure by putting into place appropriate technological and organisational measures to ensure its proper protection. An adequate IT infrastructure is a must. For many organisations this will not mean having state-of-the-art cybersecurity measures; a robust infrastructure will be enough. The Government’s Cyber-Essentials initiative (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cyber-

essentials-scheme-overview) provides a really good starting point for organisations that want to get secure. It is important to remember that it is not all about technological measures: organisational measures are as important. Ensure that all employees understand the importance of data security, and what your processes and procedures require. Consider any particular points of vulnerability, such as home working, mobile devices, and when sensitive data needs to be transferred. Understand how fraudsters use social engineering (psychological manipulation) to access systems and steal data. Training and guidance are really important in ensuring all your staff are aware of these risks. Finally, remember that GDPR requires all data breaches (which covers security incidents as well as many simple errors) that put an individual at risk to be reported to the ICO. Ensure that procedures are in place to enable reports to be made swiftly and appropriately.

What next?Recognising the value and vulnerability of personal data is the key to legal compliance in this area. Don’t try and eat the entire GDPR elephant in one sitting (sorry to any vegetarians out there…): break it down into manageable pieces.

• Start with knowing your data: what you have, where you hold it and what you do with it.• Then ask why you do what you do. Is there a lawful basis, and if so what is it? Only process in accordance with the reasons you have identified that make processing permissible.• Be prepared to share that knowledge with the individual data subjects: prepare comprehensive and comprehensible privacy statements, and ensure that they are issued at the right time.• Only share data when it is appropriate to do so. Understand why you share.• Take data security seriously. Put in place appropriate systems to protect the information: train staff; and establish procedures to deal with any breaches. The Editor would like to thank Matthew Cole and Prettys for their contributions.

| 49


In autumn 2016, Government’s telecoms policy changed in a big way.

Matt Hancock declared that the future is ‘Full Fibre and 5G’ and so took a decisive step away from the previous status quo, supporting incremental upgrades to BT’s copper infrastructure. INCA’s members, the companies building new full fibre and wireless networks, had already advocated this approach in our report ‘Building Gigabit Britain’ with a series of recommendations that Hancock and his team accepted. When Hancock spoke at the 2016 Broadband World Forum and INCA Conference, our world changed; the ‘altnets’ had arrived, moving from the fringe of the digital infrastructure debate to centre stage.INCA was set up in 2010 to advocate a more competitive approach to delivering new digital networks. We argued that the country needed to significantly upgrade our digital infrastructure and by enabling competition the job would get done faster and more effectively than simply supporting the incumbent. Consequently we were disappointed that the BDUK process subsidising rural

superfast broadband ended up with BT as the only bidder. We raised the issue in Parliament through the Public Accounts Committee which led to significant criticism of the existing regime. It didn’t make us popular with officials (or indeed with BT), but it did lead to changes that made subsequent BDUK funding rounds more accessible to altnets. By the time Matt Hancock was appointed Digital Minister, Ofcom had shifted its stance markedly in the Digital Communications Review from support for retail services competition, to favour fixed line infrastructure competition. In part this reflected the development of the altnet sector with companies like Hyperoptic, CityFibre and Gigaclear forging ahead and demonstrating their capabilities. It also reflected a growing frustration with the slow pace of development by BT and Openreach. Clearly government and the regulator were hoping that, spurred by competition, the incumbent would be forced to move more quickly.Policy and regulatory recognition led to much greater interest from the investment community and funding started flowing into the sector. With around £1bn committed to the altnets in 2017 we wanted to know what impact this was having

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COMMUNICA: Final Thought

INDEPENDENT

INCA Chairman Malcolm Corbett shares his thoughts on the growth of Alt-Nets in the United Kingdom for COMMUNICA Magazine

VOICES


^

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so we asked Point Topic to crunch the numbers and estimate the sector’s growth. By early 2018 they calculated that INCA’s members reached nearly 1m premises with full fibre - twice as many as Openreach - and up to 2m with wireless services. Furthermore INCA’s members are bullish about the future, by 2025 they plan to reach more than 14m premises with full fibre, nearly 50% of all premises in the UK. Our argument is that the sector has become the ‘third competitor’ alongside BT/Openreach and Virgin Media.In addition to policy and regulatory advocacy, one of INCA’s most important roles is to bring together the altnet community with policy-makers, regulators and funders through our conferences and workshops. INCA’s events are also a great opportunity for vendors, service providers and others supporting the sector to get together with movers and shakers from the key companies. This has been reflected in a marked growth in INCA’s membership. We now bring together more than 80 organisations including many vendors, consultants and other suppliers, alongside the operators.As the sector grows the scope for collaborative projects grows too. For the past year we have been working with J6, a UK company, to develop an online procurement platform - the INCA Marketplace. This aims to facilitate business between operators and their suppliers. It’s a great project that can really transform day-to-day transactions, promoting greater efficiency and faster project deployment.More recently we have started working with a group of members to develop the Quality Mark project - a series of quality

standards that we hope will demonstrate that INCA members ‘deliver what it says on the tin’. We think this is much needed in an industry where the typical consumer perception is that you never get what you pay for (up to speeds) and that service quality is generally poor. INCA’s members are young companies, building new networks to a high standard that should help to change these perceptions. We want to help transform our industry into one that delivers on its promises and by doing so generates enormous customer satisfaction.We see fixed and wireless networks as being part of the overall need for connectivity. One of INCA’s most ambitious projects in 2018 is to persuade Ofcom that fixed wireless operators, the WISPs, have an important role to play in delivering better broadband services in rural areas and should be afforded access to suitable licensed spectrum to support their businesses. It’s a big ask and we are working together with UKWISPA, the association of local wireless operators, to make the case. 5G is the coming technology ecosystem in wireless. Fixed wireless access with the right spectrum, could become an important part of the rural 5G mix - and deliver an early win for government policy supporting 5G deployment.

We anticipate that next year consumer switching between infrastructures (as well as between ISPs) will become a much bigger issue. A number of INCA members have identified switching as an important part of the jigsaw in the development of the market. Today it is relatively easy for consumers to switch between ISPs using Openreach infrastructure. But there are no standard processes to help consumers - or ISPs - switch from Openreach to altnet networks whether CityFibre, Hyperoptic or B4RN. Fixing this will be a big challenge involving significant work with Ofcom, policy makers and industry. Getting it right means that we will be on track to deliver on the ambitions we hope to see in the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, along with continued investment in this dynamic and fast moving sector.Overall the sector has moved from being a small group of tiny companies (many of which didn’t exist when INCA started) to major players in an industry that holds one of the keys to the UK’s future prosperity. We have worked our way around many challenges and setbacks - and are still working on smarter ways to design and build new networks and overcome the nitty gritty barriers that get in the way - wayleaves, street works, access to Openreach ducts and poles etc. Now it is time for the industry as a whole to focus on building a more collaborative approach between the different players to speed up delivery of the digital infrastructure that will serve the country for decades into the future. INCA’s job is to help make that happen.For more information about INCA, please visit their website at: www.inca.coop - John Henry Group is proud to be an INCA member.

“We want to help transform our industry into one that delivers on its promises and by doing so generates enormous customer satisfaction”


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