calfordseaden are acting as Contract Administrators to London Borough of Southwark during their upgrade of Digital Television systems across the borough.

The digital switchover (to switch off the analogue TV signal) happens in the London region on 4^th April 2011. The Council has an obligation (as a Landlord) to provide a digitally compliant service for television, whether it be via a communal system (MATV) or via individual aerials (IRS).

The upgrade is taking place via five contracts and incorporates the upgrade, planned preventative maintenance, and service calls (faults, defects liability period etc). Our role provides the contract administration & coordination of four of those contracts/contractors (MATV) - upgrading the communal (MATV) television systems for some 30,000 dwellings across the borough.

We have also been involved extensively in reviewing and revising the London Borough of Southwark asset register, in order to accurately log the works upon their properties, to receive MATV and IRS installations.

The quantum of data involved in this project has been challenging - we have had 100's of telephone communications per week, and have received 3,000+ documents and 10,000+ emails to date. The tasks comprise surveys, pre upgrade maintenance, post upgrade maintenance, service calls/RRO's (responsive repair orders) and has involved liaison with a variety of Council departments, central service call centre, engineering departments and digital champions/area housing representatives.

The contract is running for 18 months (from October 2010), and upgrades are due to complete by the end of February 2012. The planned preventative maintenance and service calls/RRO's portion of the contract has been extended for a further 2 years, in order for all properties upgraded within this contract to fulfil their defects liability period.