15 Metre Wireless Broadband Mast Angers Locals in Blackpool

The decision by fixed wireless network builder IX Wireless (UK ISP 6G Internet) to deploy a new 15-metre high broadband mast in the Lancashire town of Blackpool has attracted an angry response from local residents. Many of which live in bungalows and fear the new infrastructure will be ugly, dominant and may devalue their homes.

IX Wireless has previously spoken of their aspiration to cover 250,000 UK premises with their wireless broadband network this year, and then 4 million by 2025 (here). But until now most of their deployments have tended to focus on the nearby town of Blackburn (they’re also working in Manchester, Hyndburn, Preston, Bolton and Salford). On top of that, they also plan to build some FTTP, but the exact rollout plan for all this remains unclear.

According to a report on LancsLive, nearby residents have described the planned mast – due to be built on a green space near Bispham Gala Field at Guildford Avenue – as an “eyesore” and “huge monstrosity” that they fear could devalue their homes.

The council recently rejected approval for a similar sized mast from mobile operator Three UK, which occurred because it was deemed to be a “conspicuously tall feature in an open location … and would tower over the surrounding townscape.” But IXW’s deployment is different, as it falls under Permitted Development (PD).

In fairness, the area already seems to have quite a few tall telegraph poles and lots of street lights dotted about the place. Furthermore, the ability to access ultrafast broadband is something that various studies have shown, albeit anecdotally, could boost the value of nearby houses.

A Spokesperson for IX Wireless said:

“IX Wireless Limited engages with local authorities and councils at a very early stage of the network planning process and Blackpool has been no exception. Part of our communications strategy involves engaging with local residents in the areas where our network infrastructure is planned, taking into account appropriate concerns and making adjustments wherever possible.

The poles we erect are no more intrusive than existing telephone poles or CCTV poles in the area/town. We are considerate of the landscape and follow best practice and guidelines in relation to the siting of poles and cabinets.

We are always happy to consider any specific concerns or answer any questions that residents may have about our services and would encourage them to contact us directly so that we can assist them personally. Our aim is to provide ultrafast internet at an affordable price for everyone.”

As we always say, deploying new infrastructure will often end up attracting complaints, yet in the long run it’s usually worth the hassle. But perhaps the biggest problem for IXW in Blackpool is not the moans from some local residents, it’s more likely to be that they’re not the only fish in the sea.

In terms of gigabit-capable rivals, the town is already extremely well covered by Virgin Media’s network, while Openreach have a small bit of FTTP in other parts and Yayzi Broadband – via ITS Technology – are deploying full fibre in the town too. Not to mention CityFibre’s £60m build across the same area, and WeFibre (Telcom) have also named the town as one of their planned locations.

Suffice to say that there’s a lot of competition building across Blackpool, although IXW do have one advantage in that their wireless solution will be able to cover a wide area and all in a relatively short space of time. At present, 6GI’s top “Ultrafast Fibre” tier provides a 100Mbps (20Mbps upload) capable service for just £21.99 per month (despite the name, they offer this via their wireless network).