digitalrevolutions, digitalinclusion, defra, farming, family, digital revolutions, technology

[peewiglet]

What a brilliant video, and how inspiring to see the way you've embraced all the fantastic opportunities that the digital revolution has provided! It brought a lump to my throat. Quite wonderful ♥

[wennetvideo]

@peewiglet thank you! Broadband has really made a big difference to us and I just wish all the other farms round here could get it too. We try to share our connection with the others as much as we can.

thanks for commenting!

chris x

[rmstudio]

Absolutely loved that banjo tune... Nice to know there some good brits out there.

[finalthirdfirst]

This video clearly demonstrates the benefits of technology and a broadband connection. This is why the finalthirdfirst is campaigning to get access to the internet for everyone. Great film. All farmers and rural businesses can benefit in the way you and your family have done.

[daveobarnsley]

Great video cyberdoyle, we loved your dancing cows and singing dog, you should get them on britains got talent!

[rorysreivers]

Good film for promoting the benefits of technology to farmers, shows how it can be used for useful work. Would be better if all the screen labels were in the same place, but otherwise very well put together. We will use this in our campaign to get the archers to discuss rural broadband access if you don't mind?

[wennetvideo]

@rorysreivers thanks for the suggestion, a few of my mates said the same, but it was too late cos I had already sent the film in to the competition, but i will remember the advice for next time, you are right. You are more than welcome to use the film for anything that helps promote awareness of the issues we face in rural areas and the benefits a connection brings. Spread the joy mate. Doubt you will get the archers to do anything though! they have only just discovered email.

[keneastwood1]

Excellent. Surprised you didn't mention your fibre project. Rural Britain needs next generation broadband and you demonstrate that wonderfully here. Good luck!

[wrayvideos]

Super splendid well done.

[FirthCommaJ]

Brilliant! Compelling argument for digital equality covering so many issues in such a wonderful short film.

[wennetvideo]

@FirthCommaJ thanks for that!

[waltergmw1]

Well done Chris !

I do hope you're successful in the competition.

Our broadband problems down in the South East are nearly as bad as yours too !

[wennetvideo]

@waltergmw1 thanks Walter, yes there are problems but we just cope thanks to the community network. What we could do once we have Next Generation Access keeps me campaigning and fighting to get it. Its just a shame we have such a brilliant phone network, its that which is holding us back. Other countries without the legacy infrastructure are just streaking ahead with fibre. We will catch up. We Have To. Keep rockin, there are lots of people on our side, especially now the reivers are reviving...

[helenander]

Myself and Tom love the video, actually brought a lump to my throat Chris. Having been to the farm and knowing the network and area we know how the farms are scattered around and how isolated they would be without the technology you have helped to bring about there. Plus lovely to see the cows skipping about at the end of a long winter.

[cyberdoyle]

@helenander thanks Helen! If it wasn't for you and Tom, Joel and Lins and the swat team we wouldn't have a network, we could do with another blitz now to get some more fibre in couldn't we?

[cybersavvy22]

Keep sharing the video. We need to spread the word to everyone that being online is just the beginning... With FTTH (Fibre To The Home) far more becomes possible, such as telehealth, distance learning, smart utilities as well as just surfing, emailing, Skyping, singing etc! This is where we can all start making savings, not just you and me, but our councils, schools and LEAs, National Parks, government depts etc etc etc. JFDI!

[SJIUK]

Excellent video Chris.

Being slow and from the countryside used to mean something else when I was a child.

We have an 800k link to the internet.

I try and use my internet to contact my Brothers, in Montreal, Lymington and Jersey, and my parents in South Africa and Spain, and as yet you do not have to electronically tag pigs apart from the offending ones.

I dream of fibre.

[wennetvideo]

@SJIUK you and me both! won't it be great when we can just do whatever we like without sitting waiting and pixelated pictures? We can but dream, but if I win the competition with this video a few more farmers will get some fibre in anticipation of a fat pipe coming close enough to couple it up to.

[Issydavies]

Love the video! Explains very simply why broadband access is so important in rural areas. The dog is the star!

[wennetvideo]

@Issydavies thank you! Arnie will be very chuffed to hear that. He is actually quite potty, and once he starts singing you can't shut him up. must be genetic, his brother is the same...

[timicocto]

It's a beautiful video Chris & the cows look ecstatic:).

How do farmers that don't have access to broadband manage though?

Also if those kids are growing up on the farm how do they go about accessing and submitting homework online in the way that my city living kids do? My 4 kids all use Facebook and other social networks to arrange parties and other events with their pals.

Finally in the winter you might just as well have been in the Klondike if you don't have broadband.

[wennetvideo]

@timicocto my kids and grandchildren will be ok, because we have the community network, but its awful for all the others round here who can't get online. They use the institute in the village where we do free computers and wifi for them. Its not unusual for whole farming families to be seen in there, adults doing defra stuff and the kids catching up with facebook... Quite often the other farm kids come to my farm to get their homework pulled down in the school holidays.

[wennetvideo]

thanks for the comments. Arnie sings to anything on youtube. his favourite is the match of the day theme tune. he can howl for an hour. I only have a connection thanks to the Wennet community wifi network, there are many in this area still on dialup, so it is great to get the opportunity to get this film online and spread awareness of the problems farmers have these days in areas of market failure, where the telcos say we have a connection. But we don't.

[caffeinebomb]

Great video Chris, especially love Arnie the singing dog. Lovely to see your farms (especially the bucking cows - we used to keep a horse and that time of year is great when they are allowed out to grass again.)

If that is what you can do with limited connectivity, imagine how enabling it would be if you (and others in rural areas) had increased broadband access - so many things to improve the quality of our lives at a relatively low cost.

[BayWebDesigns]

Digital Britain should be for ALL Britain. How can the govt expect rural areas to comply with regulations online and yet deny them the means to do so?

[wennetvideo]

@BayWebDesigns defra just say the farmers have to use an agent if they can't get online. bit of a farce really... I don't think government understand the issues. Even mobile doesn't work well round here, the lads use CBs on their tractors to keep in touch.

[BayWebDesigns]

@wennetvideo That's sooo stupid - but then that's government for you.

[wennetvideo]

@BayWebDesigns well at least up here in the north west we have Rory Stewart - the mp for penrith, and he is doing great things. With a bit of luck our village will have a digital village pump one day, and then we will have access to a fat pipe. We can either wifi or run fibre to it and get as much internet as we want. Rory's reivers are massing now, and soon we will be JFDI all over the place. even morecambe!

[BayWebDesigns]

@wennetvideo We can only hope :-)