Information around "Wireless Blackpool"

The request was partially successful.

Dear Blackpool Borough Council,

"Wireless Blackpool" is an admirable facility available to the public in Blackpool, with signage and details available from a variety of public and commercial location".

If it is no long called "Wireless Blackpool" it is none the less a WiFi facility featured and provided as a case study by Blackpool Council in conjunction with the suppliers. The name is still visible around Blackpool Town Centre.

My request follows:

1) This facility was funded in part or total by public funds? Yes, No.
2) The facility was funded by Local Economic Growth Initiative funding? Yes, No
3) Was the procurement carried out under Blackpool's standard conditions? i.e.: Was the work subject to a legal tender arrangement, and please provide the evidence of this ( a copy of the tender/advert will be fine).
4) What was the total value of the installation? This should include all costs from the outset. Survey, installation, deployment, installation, service, support. I will be happy for a copy of the initial quotation/evidence of contract and costing, but require also to receive the ongoing service, support and maintenance, plus any extensions made (i.e. Libraries) from the date of inception to today (or 20/01/2012.
5) Can you provide evidence of contract placed? Dates and how long this has to run in its current version.
6) What returns has the council been able to make on the costs incurred in deploying the WiFi installations. i.e.: How much have departments contributed to the costs when seeking to deploy in their Departments etc?
7) Please can you provide the following evidence (which should be available as a matter of course )
a) Useage data. This may simply be number of active uses (log-ons/ip address identifiers/sessions) over the period the WiFi has been in place - charted. I DO NOT require data on "voucher" usage, as this will not truly reflect usage.
b) Operational data. Can you please also provide data on "uptime", showing the frequency of "downtime" and the periods of "downtime" for the period of operation. Raw data is not required, but charting is acceptable.

All of this data, I would expect, would be freely and openly available for review, and clearly will be an important part of the way that professional ICT Departments would operate.

Notes/Clarifications:

Ref "facility" - the hardware, software, installation, support and maintenance of the WiFi infrastructure located both internally and externally around Blackpool, with Commercial entities and its own estate. This does NOT refer to point to point or core network infrastructure required by the council too carry out its day to day duties.

"Privacy or commercial sensitivity" Although I cannot see why such actions need to be made for a publicly funded project, feel free to redact sensitive information that the FOI Officer feels is appropriate.

Yours faithfully,

John Rudkin

Customer First, Blackpool Borough Council

Dear Mr Rudkin

Thank you for your email which we received 24th January 2012.

I have forwarded your email to the Freedom of Information Officer.

They will reply to you directly.

Thanks
Laura
Regards, Customer First .
Customer First, Blackpool Council
* Email: [Blackpool Borough Council request email]
* Phone: 01253 477477
* Fax: 01253 478808
* Web: www.blackpool.gov.uk

show quoted sections

Dear Blackpool Borough Council,

I am still awaiting a response to my FOI enquiry regarding Blackpool's WiFi network. The request is now overdue. If I do not receive the information requested within 7 days I will have to resort to an internal review request. I'd rather not do that.

Yours faithfully,

John Rudkin

Customer First, Blackpool Borough Council

Dear Mr Rudkin

Thank you for your email.

This has been forwarded to the Freedom of Information Officer. They will
chase this up and reply to you as soon as possible.

Thanks
Laura
Regards, Customer First .
Customer First, Blackpool Council
* Email: [Blackpool Borough Council request email]
* Phone: 01253 477477
* Fax: 01253 478808
* Web: www.blackpool.gov.uk

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Debbie Topping, Blackpool Borough Council

Our Ref: 79/JR/DT/F14

Dear Mr Rudkin

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – INFORMATION REQUEST

I am writing to advise you that the timescale for responding to
your request for information which the Council received on 24th
January needs to be extended.

 
Occasionally it is necessary to extend the 20 working day
timescale for issuing a response.  In the case of your request, I
must extend the time limit by approximately 10 days as we are
liaising with another organisation in relation to certain aspects
of your request. 

If this timescale needs to be revised you will be advised as to
the reasons and provided with an amended timescale. 

I will write to you as soon as possible, informing you of the
outcome this process and I apologise on behalf of the Council for
the delay.

If you have a complaint about the handling of your request you may
ask for an internal review and you should submit this in writing
to: Council Complaint, Blackpool Council, PO Box 50, Town Hall,
Blackpool, FY1 1NA. 
If you are not happy with the outcome of the review, you have the
right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision.  You can contact the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF,
([1]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk).
If you have any queries about this letter you can contact me, or
write to: FOI, Town Hall, Blackpool, FY1 1NA, or email us at
[2][Blackpool Borough Council request email].  Please quote your reference
number when you contact us.

Yours sincerely

Mrs D Topping

ICT Services

 [3]http://www.blackpool.gov.uk/EmailDisclai...
This message has been scanned for inappropriate or malicious content as
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******************************************************************************
Check out the video of Ken Dodd launching Blackpool's new Comedy Carpet by
clicking this link [4]http://youtu.be/zGuMJPqRUr0

******************************************************************************

Be a responsible dog owner - Bag it, Bin it!

References

Visible links
1. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[Blackpool Borough Council request email]
3. http://www.blackpool.gov.uk/EmailDisclai...
4. http://youtu.be/zGuMJPqRUr0

Debbie Topping, Blackpool Borough Council

Our Ref: 79/JR/DT/F3a

Dear Mr Rudkin

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – INFORMATION REQUEST

I am writing to confirm that we have now completed our search for
the information you requested on 24th January 2012.   We have
previously sent correspondence to explain that we had to extend
the timescale in order that we could liaise with another
organisation.  This has now been completed.

A copy of the information that can be disclosed is included below
in the form of answers to the questions you submitted.  I wish to
advise you that some information cannot be disclosed, and where
this is relevant, the reason is included in the response below.

You asked: 1) This facility was funded in part or total by public
funds? Yes, No.
Yes

You asked: 2) The facility was funded by Local Economic Growth
Initiative funding? Yes, No
LEGI money was used over a 2 year period to contribute towards a
service provided on the Wireless Blackpool infrastructure procured
by the Council.

You asked: 3) Was the procurement carried out under Blackpool's
standard conditions? i.e.: Was the work subject to a legal tender
arrangement, and please provide the evidence of this (a copy of
the tender/advert will be fine).

Yes.  An ITQ was issued with OGC (now Buying Solutions).  ITQ7283.

You asked: 4) What was the total value of the installation? This
should include all costs from the outset. Survey, installation,
deployment, installation, service, support. I will be happy for a
copy of the initial quotation/evidence of contract and costing,
but require also to receive the ongoing service, support and
maintenance, plus any extensions made (i.e. Libraries) from the
date of inception to today (or 20/01/2012.

LEGI bought services which were as follows:
Year 1 - £41,685.  Year 2 - £62,527.

Any extension has been undertaken as part of capital projects and
the time required to locate, retrieve, collate and format this
would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ as stated in the Freedom of
Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.  In
accordance with the Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for
this part of your request.

You asked: 5) Can you provide evidence of contract placed? Dates
and how long this has to run in its current version.
This was funded over a 2 year period.  This was from 2008.

You asked: 6) What returns has the council been able to make on
the costs incurred in deploying the WiFi installations. i.e.: How
much have departments contributed to the costs when seeking to
deploy in their Departments etc?

There are no returns.  The Wireless Blackpool service met the
requirements for LEGI and in-house council service, and has been
developed through pooled funding.

You asked: 7) Please can you provide the following evidence (which
should be available as a matter of course)
     a) Usage data. This may simply be number of active uses
(log-ons/ip address identifiers/sessions) over the period the WiFi
has been in place - charted. I DO NOT require data on "voucher"
usage, as this will not truly reflect usage.

     b) Operational data. Can you please also provide data on
"uptime", showing the frequency of "downtime" and the periods of
"downtime" for the period of operation. Raw data is not required,
but charting is acceptable.

We do not hold this information.  Although we are not obliged to
create information, we have considered if this is possible,
however, the task of obtaining and collating the information would
exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ as stated in the Freedom of
Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.  In
accordance with the Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for
this part of your request.

If you have a complaint about the handling of your request you may
ask for an internal review and you should submit this in writing
to: Council Complaint, Blackpool Council, PO Box 50, Town Hall,
Blackpool, FY1 1NA. 
If you are not happy with the outcome of the review, you have the
right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision.  You can contact the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF,
([1]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk). 
If you have any queries about this letter you can contact me, or
write to: FOI, Town Hall, Blackpool, FY1 1NA, or email us at
[2][Blackpool Borough Council request email].  Please remember to quote your
reference number when you contact us.

Yours sincerely

Mrs D Topping

ICT Services

 [3]http://www.blackpool.gov.uk/EmailDisclai...
This message has been scanned for inappropriate or malicious content as
part of the Council's e-mail and Internet policies.

******************************************************************************
Check out the video of Ken Dodd launching Blackpool's new Comedy Carpet by
clicking this link [4]http://youtu.be/zGuMJPqRUr0

******************************************************************************

Be a responsible dog owner - Bag it, Bin it!

References

Visible links
1. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[Blackpool Borough Council request email]
3. http://www.blackpool.gov.uk/EmailDisclai...
4. http://youtu.be/zGuMJPqRUr0