Better Broadband Campaign

N.B. This page is no longer maintained but is retained as a historical record.

As of 2022, full fibre (ultrafast) broadband is now available to many homes in Bradley Stoke. For details, visit the Journal’s Full Fibre Broadband information page.

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Better Broadband for Filton, Almondsbury & Bradley Stoke (BB4FABS)

Broadband - photo by charmcitygavin (licence: cc-attr)

Welcome to The Journal’s BB4FABS campaign to get better broadband speeds in Bradley Stoke and the neighbouring areas of Almondsbury, Filton, Olveston, Little Stoke, Patchway, Rudgeway, Stoke Gifford and Tockington in South Gloucestershire and North Bristol.

We’re working closely with our local Councils, Member of Parliament and other interested parties to help get a better deal for broadband users in our area.

Latest News

When will YOUR Bradley Stoke street get superfast broadband?

Thinking of upgrading to superfast broadband? We can help you find the best deal.

Campaign Success Stories

Filton Exchange (0117 numbers)

Filton (0117) to get BT superfast broadband in 2012

Almondsbury Exchange (01454 numbers)

Superfast broadband promised for 01454 numbers by summer 2014

Previous Initiatives

South Gloucestershire Council Consultations

See also: Coverage maps showing areas qualifying for state aid

BT’s Race to Infinity competition

Bradley Stoke Broadband - Race to Infinity

This competition, announced by BT on 4th October 2010, allows users to vote for their neighbourhood to be fast-tracked for the installation of superfast broadband. The five areas which have the largest percentage of votes by 31st December 2010 will win the chance to bring fibre optic broadband to their area.

Our local area is served by two exchanges – at Almondsbury (serving 01454 numbers) and  Filton (0117 numbers), and we urge all readers to register their vote as soon as possible.

Click here to vote for better broadband in
Filton, Almondsbury and Bradley Stoke

Read more: Vote now to help bring faster broadband to Bradley Stoke!

Final Result (31st December 2010):

  • Almondsbury: 1,066 votes out of a possible 9,480 (11.24%)
  • Filton: 397 votes out of a possible 18,731 (2.12%)

Read more: Final result for all all 2,495 eligible exchanges

BT Race to Infinity result for the Almondsbury exchange BT Race to Infinity result for the Filton exchange

Results provided courtesy of Race to Infinity and Beyond (not affiliated with BT).

Virgin Media’s Cable my Street challenge

Virgin Media We are campaigning to get Virgin Media to complete its network in Bradley Stoke, so that everyone in the town has access to their superfast broadband service. However, for this to happen, we need local residents to show there is demand. Help us to help you by emailing your name and full postal address, including postcode, to: cablemystreet@bradleystokejournal.co.uk in order to register your interest in receiving  Virgin Media’s broadband, TV and telephone services. Privacy policy and data protection:

  1. Sending an email does not commit you to entering a contract with Virgin Media.
  2. The data you provide will held by the Bradley Stoke Journal and shared with Virgin Media and Bradley Stoke Town Council.
  3. Your data will be used solely to provide you with information about possible ways of bringing faster broadband to your street.

N.B. This is a new campaign for 2010/2011. If you voted in the Bradley Stoke Examiner’s 2009 Virgin Media Cable my Street, please vote again in the new campaign. Already got Virgin Media cable in your street? Let us know what you think of it: How good is Virgin Media in Bradley Stoke?

Jack Lopresti’s broadband campaign

Jack Lopresti Our local MP, Jack Lopresti, has vowed to make the fight to secure faster, more reliable, broadband coverage across his Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency one of his top priorities. He recently met with Communications Minister Ed Vaizey, who agreed to write to to both BT and Virgin Media to ask exactly why the service isn’t better than it is. Mr Lopresti recently told The Journal that he hopes to have some exciting news about his campaign very soon. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear from him. Read more: MP joins the fight for faster broadband in Bradley Stoke

BB4FABS Campaign sponsors

The Better Broadband for Filton, Almondsbury & Bradley Stoke (BB4FABS) campaign is generously sponsored by CJ Hole, Fortytfour Creative, Harvester Bradley Stoke and the Willow Brook Centre.

Sponsors of the BB4FABS campaign

Harvester Bradley Stoke sponsors the Better Broadband campaign

Earlier Initiatives

Virgin Media

The Bradley Stoke Examiner ran a campaign in 2009 to get Virgin Media to extend its coverage to all streets in Bradley Stoke. A total of 226 readers emailed Virgin but this wasn’t enough to meet the target of 1,500 that the company had said would be necessary for it to consider taking action.

BBC Politics Show investigates Bradley Stoke broadband

Above: Cllr Robert Jones is interviewed by the BBC Politics Show West in a piece about the campaign to get Virgin Media to cable more streets in Bradley Stoke. [Photo courtesy of the Bradley Stoke Examiner; original article] Read more: The Examiner’s 2009 Virgin Media campaign

Bradley Stoke latest news.

The Journal’s Action Plan

We feel it’s important that these campaigns are backed-up by verified statistics about the poor broadband speeds in our area, so we’re asking residents to test their current broadband speed using the interface below. We are working with broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk to gather the data and will make it available to broadband service providers on request. We’re also asking readers to join the BB4FABS Facebook Group, so that we can keep you informed of the latest news in the fight to bring better broadband to the area. Help us to help you by:

  1. Registering your vote in the BT Race to Infinity
  2. Emailing Cable my Street (if you don’t currently have Virgin cable)
  3. Taking the broadband speed test
  4. Joining the BB4FABS Facebook Group
  5. Signing up to the BB4FABS mailing list
  6. Volunteering to deliver leaflets

Broadband speed test

Test your broadband speed now:

Mailing list

No longer available.

Campaign resources

Publicity material for you to distribute to friends and neighbours, to make them aware of the BB4FABS campaign.

Could you display a poster at your place of work?

Could you help deliver leaflets to homes in Bradley Stoke at the end of November? We are looking for volunteers to deliver our A5 leaflet to the 52 streets  that aren’t cabled by Virgin Media. The list of streets to be leafleted and the current volunteers is here. Email BB4FABS to volunteer!

We’re particularly interested in hearing from supporters in the following areas served by the Almondsbury exchange: Hortham Village, Olveston and Tockington.

You could also help the campaign by posting updates on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks to:

There’s more information about broadband services on the Broadband page of our Town Guide.

Useful Links

Broadband availability

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Bradley Stoke Broadband – Press Coverage

Campaigner questions BT super-fast broadband plan
8th April 2011 | BBC Bristol
A campaigner who wants high-speed broadband in Bradley Stoke near Bristol has “questioned the logic” of BT’s roll-out plan.

Drive for faster web connections
14th December 2010 | Bristol Evening Post
Residents, campaigners and the MP for Bradley Stoke are making a final push to get faster internet speeds in the town.

Internet campaign picks up the pace
22nd November 2010 | Bristol Evening Post
A campaign to improve the broadband coverage for a large part of Bradley Stoke has attracted support from local businesses and the area’s MP.

Bradley Stoke residents fight for faster broadband
12th October 2010 | BBC Bristol
Residents of Bradley Stoke are hoping to win their town faster internet after BT offered to equip five areas across the UK with fibre-optic broadband.

Vote online to boost your broadband
9th October 2010 | Bristol Evening Post
Councillors in Bradley Stoke are calling on residents to vote for faster internet in a BT contest to nominate exchanges for upgrade to superfast broadband.

Broadband needs to be better – MP
13th August 2010 | Bristol Evening Post
Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti has backed a campaign to improve broadband coverage in the Bradley Stoke area.

Bradley Stoke campaigner urges more support for faster broadband
6th July 2009 | Bristol Evening Post
The campaign to get faster internet services in Bradley Stoke is gathering pace.

Digital Britain: Case study of a broadband backwater
16th June 2009 | The Guardian
It might be a new town just a few miles north of Bristol, but Bradley Stoke is plagued by not spots where residents struggle to get a reliable broadband service.

Bristol internet users left in slow lane
1st June 2009 | Bristol Evening Post
It may be the 21st century, but not for several thousand households in Bradley Stoke.

Reference Sources

Virgin Media uncabled streets in Bradley Stoke

Map created and maintained by the Bradley Stoke Examiner [more …]

Map no longer available.

The following Bradley Stoke streets are currently NOT served by Virgin Media’s cable network:

Blackthorn Drive, Carter Walk, Champs Sur Marne, Coriander Drive, Cornfield Close, Courtlands, Crofters Walk, Cross Tree Grove, Dewfalls Drive, Diana Gardens, Fennel Drive, Fern Grove, Fiddlers Wood Lane, Garrett Drive, Harvest Close, Hawkins Crescent, Jordan Walk, Juniper Way, Kemperleye Way, Lavender Way, Linden Drive, Manor Farm Crescent, Marjoram Place, Mautravers Close, Merryweather Close, Oaktree Crescent, Orchard Gate, Palmers Leaze (part served), Penrose Drive, Pimpernel Mead, Rosemary Close, Sages Mead, Savages Wood Road, Saxon Way, Shepherds Walk, Shiels Drive, Snowberry Close, Somerby Close, Stanshaws Close, Stevens Walk, Stoke Meadows, Tarragon Place, Teasel Mead, The Beeches, The Culvert, The Spinney, The Willows, Three Brooks Lane, Webbs Wood Road, Wheatfield Drive, Winsbury Way.

Please get in touch if you think there is an error or omission in the above list, particularly if you have information about Poppy Mead, Hornbeam Close, Pursey Drive (part served), The Pasture or Little Green, all of which we suspect might need to be added.

Broadband ‘slowspots’ and ‘notspots’ in Bradley Stoke

Map maintained by broadband-notspot.org.uk

Map no longer available.

Note: A slowspot is defined by a download speed of less than 2Mbps.

Government policy on broadband

Acknowledgements

The support of the following organisations, businesses and individuals is gratefully acknowledged:

  • Willow Brook Centre (main sponsor – banners and posters)
  • CJ Hole (main sponsor – banners and posters)
  • Harvester Bradley Stoke (main sponsor – leaflets)
  • Bradley Stoke Town Council (displaying poster/banners; website banner)
  • O2 Bradley Stoke (displaying poster)
  • Tesco Extra (permission to display banner)
  • Almondsbury Community Shop (displaying poster/leaflets)
  • Almondsbury CE Primary School (permission to display banner)
  • Little Stoke Social Club (displaying poster/leaflets)
  • Bains Fish & Chips, Little Stoke (displaying poster)
  • Bradley Stoke Community School (newsletter article)
  • Bradley Stoke Library (displaying poster/leaflets)
  • Bristol Trading Post, Baileys Court (displaying poster/leaflets)
  • Tesco Express, Baileys Court (displaying poster/leaflets)
  • Southern Brooks Community Partnership (website article)
  • Wheatfield Primary School (permission to display banner)
  • The Bowl Inn, Almondsbury (displaying poster/leaflets)
  • Patchway Town Council (website article)
  • The Lich Gate – Almondsbury’s parish magazine (article)
  • Patchway Library (displaying poster)
  • Meadowbrook Primary School (permission to display banner)
  • King of Spice Indian Takeaway(displaying poster)
  • Peking Chinese Takeaway (displaying poster)
  • Tesco Extra Tech Department (displaying poster/leaflets)
  • Bradley Stoke Liberal Democrats (leaflet distribution)
  • Filton and Bradley Stoke Conservatives (leaflet distribution/door knocking)
  • Patchway People newspaper (article)
  • Stoke Lodge Primary School (leaflet to all pupils)
  • Little Stoke Primary School (leaflet to all pupils)

Sadly, we weren’t adequately supported by:

  • Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre (declined to display poster/leaflets)
  • Bradley Stoke Matters (declined to display website banner)
  • Bradley Stoke Surgery (took posters/leaflets but didn’t display them; couldn’t be bothered to vote for their own phone line)

BT Fibre Upgrade News from thinkbroadband.com

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