New Building Regulations Part R – Electronic communications
— 25 Jan 2017
New requirements came into effect at the start of the year to improve building infrastructure and deliver faster broadband speeds and communication.
From the 1st January 2017, the Approved Document R applies to new buildings and to existing buildings that are subject to major renovation works.
Requirements seek to ensure that a building is equipped with a high-speed-ready infrastructure so that, in future, copper or fibre-optic cables or wireless devices capable of delivering broadband speeds greater than 30 Mbps can be installed.
The new regulation applies to both domestic dwellings and other buildings
As with most of our work to Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas, the careful balance will be to integrate modern services without adversely impacting on historic fabric, character and appearance. Satellite and wireless technologies are sometimes difficult to use in older properties due to the thickness and mass of traditionally constructed walls.
Jonathan Rhind recently attended a talk by The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Minister of State for Digital and Culture policy.
Talks focused on the high demand for superfast reliable broadband for homes and businesses in the rural areas across Devon and Somerset, including Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks.
Towers of some rural churches we inspect have been utilised for transmitting wireless broadband signals to connect remote villages, which is a current government drive http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/07/church-spires-get-broadband-transmitters-new-government-drive/
Read more about our church work at http://www.jonathan-rhind.co.uk/architecture-projects/churches/
