Topic: Is Final Chapter In wi-fi 'Saga' Near?

[makethem99]

Not clear what you mean. I asked for the contract that SBC agreed for the report production. Are you telling me that they have not given me the right document?

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[Des Morgan]

No not at all. I thought from a read of your post that you had asked for a copy of the PWC report.

My fault for not reading properly.

I have apologised to Coun Bluh and Justin Tomlinson for wasting their time.  Lesson learned -read carefully before sending letters 

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[jennyb]

What news of the wifi inquiry report?

When is this to be published ?

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[Des Morgan]

What news of the wifi inquiry report?  When is this to be published ?

I imagine the four wise men have taken to their 'darkened room' to gogitate the things they have been told, peruse the papers they have been given (a sure way to dampen any enthusiasm for the fray) and digest the awful truth that dare not raise its name. The council could have cut its losses and saved the taxpayer £250,000 plus

The deal was suspect from day one, the outcomes totally predicatable and the participants up to their eyeballs in attempting to defend their roles.

I suspect their will be some serious questions asked of people who were in positions to challenge the process and chose to sit on their hands and button their lips.

Will we ever discover how officers considered a short term term overdraft facilty to justify being identified as a 'loan' and offering that as proof that the business was worth investing wasting another £250,000.

Surely, knowing the business was running on an overdraft facility in January, February and March of 2010 should have raised alarm bells in the officer corps. Their fear of the politicians seems to have turned their brains to 'mush' - they certainly lacked any moral fibre.

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[Des Morgan]

Allegedly a deal has been done to secure ownership of the hardware in Highworth and this has been leased to aQovia!!!

Lets see if the Council can answer some questions on that subject without pleading commercial confidentiality

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[jennyb]

Allegedly a deal has been done to secure ownership of the hardware in Highworth and this has been leased to aQovia!!!

Lets see if the Council can answer some questions on that subject without pleading commercial confidentiality

Oh I don't know... I can visualise an FOI for what would appear to a car boot sale...

Can't you just hear Del Boy... I'll give you 50p to take the lot... on go on then.. it's your's for a fiver..

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[Richard Symonds]

Allegedly a deal has been done to secure ownership of the hardware in Highworth and this has been leased to aQovia!!!

So what is the return for the lease then Des?

£700,000 per annum?

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[Richard Symonds]

What news of the wifi inquiry report?  When is this to be published ?

I imagine the four wise men have taken to their 'darkened room' to gogitate the things they have been told, peruse the papers they have been given (a sure way to dampen any enthusiasm for the fray) and digest the awful truth that dare not raise its name. The council could have cut its losses and saved the taxpayer £250,000 plus

The last thing I was lead to believe what that the 'Magnificent four', whoever they now are, have yet to interview the Demob Happy Rod!

I wonder why?

and weren't they supposed to report to Scrutiny in January?

I wonder if they will report on Monday Night, eight weeks later?

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[Outoftowner]

Our Hitesh will be out of the door soon as well Richard. How very, very convenient!

I would love to know the details of the Highworth junk. What on earth do Aqovia think that they can do with it?
Will they take the equipment down and use it elsewhere? If so, who do they know that can afford and use a ladder?

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[Geoff Reid]

For once I'm content to leave the speculation to others.

I'll see what the report does and does not cover and what conclusions it draws before taking aim.

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[Richard Symonds]

So interesting to reflect on what was being said two years ago

We make Private Eye, again!

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Collective amnesia strikes in Swindon, where senior councillors and officers are dashed if they can remember much about Digital City (DC).

Eye readers will easily remember it as the company that defaulted on a £450,000 loan from the Tory Council to set up borough-wide wifi internet access (Eyes 1265 and 1283).

An FOI request asked two simple questions:

- When did council leader Roderick Bluh, the deputy leader Garry Perkins and the other eight memnbers of the cabinet find out that DC would not be repaying the £450,000?

- When did chief executive Gavin Jones and other top officers find out that 'Rikki' Hunt, who recently quit as the chief executive of DC, had also quit as director of Avidity Consulting Ltd, which owns 30% of the shares of DC - to be replaced by his wife, Laura?

FOI officer Sharon Druett replied that none of the key players could remember the answers to these questions because they were informed 'verbally and therefore the information was not recorded under the FOI act'.

One of the worst afflicted is Perkins, who is also a director of DC. He had several meetings with Rikki after the transfer of Avidity shares to Mrs Hunt, yet apparently neither though that worth discussion.

Another puzzle is why Swindon gave DC a loan 900 times greater than the £500 limit suggested by a credit assessment agency the council had engaged to run checks on DC prior to offering it a loan.

Cllr Perkins claims new buyers for DC have been found but can't be identified because they are insisting on a 'confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement'. And what you don't know, you can't forget!

I wonder if the 'magnificent four' have had more luck in helping them to regain their memory?

and

What became of those mysterious investors?  Surely they were nothing to do with UK Broadband.

I must admit to being fascinated as to why aQovia would want the assets in Highworth?  Have I missed something?

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[Muggins]

Outer Quote: "I would love to know the details of the Highworth junk. What on earth do Aqovia think that they can do with it?"


I reckon its worth more stripped down and sold for scrap metal than it was up on the lamp-post!  And I bet the sellign price for copper wiring has doubled since it was stuck up on there.

Nice little bonus.

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[Outoftowner]

There's hardly any cable Muggins. Wireless you see.
The junk is not worth the cost of taking it down from the lamp-posts, believe me.
The hire of a cherry-picker to access the transmitters would cost far more than their worth and that's before they pay a worker.
Maybe Aqovia have found another council who fancy a Wi-Fi system. After all, it doesn't even have work to be credible some some numpties.

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[Muggins]

I figured no cable leading from it - I do have wifi in my own home - good ennit!

Granted it is a mystery, can't see they'd be having/doign it unless there was something in it for them.

What about those poor souls who subscribed to it?

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[Geoff Reid]

What about those poor souls who subscribed to it?

I doubt anyone can provide any evidence that any of Digital City's 18 subscribed customers was ever actually invoiced for their subscription. 

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[Des Morgan]

What became of those mysterious investors?  Surely they were nothing to do with UK Broadband.

I doubt they were ever serious investors - they came and went as 'passing vapours' they were integral to the decision to release the second £250k (read the council papers making the case for the second tranche to be released) within 2 months they were nowhere to be seen.

The Director of Finance is adamant that one of the potential investors has since invested in a digital network in Swindon, but not through Digital City.

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[ph1lc]

[The Director of Finance is adamant that one of the potential investors has since invested in a digital network in Swindon, but not through Digital City.

He would say that though - he's got to come up with some story to cover up his total incompetence.

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[Richard Symonds]

[The Director of Finance is adamant that one of the potential investors has since invested in a digital network in Swindon, but not through Digital City.

He would say that though - he's got to come up with some story to cover up his total incompetence.

I wonder if this subject has been covered by the 'Magnificent Four'?

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[Des Morgan]

I wonder if this subject has been covered by the 'Magnificent Four'?

Indeed - I wonder?

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[Richard Symonds]

Report Imminent I am told, so who will join me at Scrutiny to see it presented?

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