BDF Broadband is a community network run as a social enterprise for the benefit of Bourton, Draycote and Frankton and surrounding villages. It was set up to provide broadband internet where none was available from the local exchange in Marton.

BDF Broadband was set up by Richard Burton, Simon Roberts, and David Cochrane in March 2004 in response to the news that BT would ‘never be able to supply us due to the length of the telephone wires’. Also, we were the folks who wanted broadband for our businesses so much, we decided to make our own bit of the internet!

Richard Burton - all round dogs body, really. I do most of the installations - antennas, configurating up the boxes and computers, divining lines of sight, and round the clock support - we can fix most windows computers now. I am also the project ‘fine woodworker’, which is my business when I’m not clacking keyboards.

Simon Roberts - the brains of the outfit! Simon has the satellite dish at his house and can actually write computer programs that work and are useful! His real job is predicting how various bits of new car designs will wobble.

Both of the above are keen sailors at Draycote Water. Richard built the weather station which has a webcam looking out over the water

David Cochrane - David helped us get the project off the ground. He is an enthusiastic collector of old computers and cars! He runs a technical employment agency.

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