ISP AB Internet Expands 50Mbps Wireless Internet to Rural Lincolnshire UK

Lincoln-based Fixed Wireless ISP AB Internet has won £300,000 of public funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to help it roll-out a 50Mbps capable broadband service to two rural areas (encompassing several villages) on the east coast of Lincolnshire (England, UK).

The pilot scheme, which compliments yesterday’s £48m project for making superfast broadband (25Mbps+) available to “at least” 88% of all premises in the county by April 2016 (here), will see a number of moderate sized civil parish villages (several are home to a population of close to 2,000 people) being connected up to a new wireless network.

Lincolnshire Wards to Benefit

* Area 1: Ingoldmells, Chapel St Leonards, Willoughby, Sloothby

* Area 2: Old Leake, Wrangle, Frithville, Stickney, Sibsey

Local homes and businesses can expect to receive a broadband connection with package speeds of between 2Mbps and 50Mbps.

Darren Round, Managing Director of AB Internet, said:

“This project is absolutely ground-breaking, not only does it show a clear endorsement of AB Internet’s track record of transforming rural areas, but it highlights confidence placed in fixed wireless access as a realistic alternative for ‘traditional’ methods of Superfast Broadband delivery. Perhaps most importantly, it’s a clear message to residents in these areas that the council has listened, and is delivering on promises to help transform their broadband lives.”

Kelly Smith, Councillor – Executive Member for Finance and HR, added:

“These pilot projects will make sure these rural areas aren’t left behind as we move into the digital age. Fast reliable broadband isn’t a luxury – it’s vital to business growth, to local residents wanting to access online services, and children downloading learning materials. We’d initially thought we’d only be able to fund one pilot, so the fact that we’re going to be able to help two areas is fantastic news.”

Happily the new network will not take long to roll-out and AB Internet expects its work to be completed during the autumn (2013). It’s not known how much the new service will cost, although previous AB Internet packages have tended to offer 4-10Mbps from around £20.