Countryside Fibre Plans North Somerset Gigabit Broadband Build

A new London-registered alternative network provider called Countryside Fibre has cropped up with a plan to deploy a gigabit-capable full fibre broadband network (FTTP vs GPON) across parts of North Somerset in England. The provider will sell packages both directly to homes and businesses, as well as via wholesale through other ISPs.

Applications for Code Powers are typically sought to help speed-up deployments of new fibre and cut costs, not least by reducing the number of licences needed for street works. The powers can also help with supporting access to run new fibre via Openreach’s (BT) existing cable ducts and poles (PIA), which is something that Lightning Fibre have harnessed in the past and would clearly use again.

At the time of writing we couldn’t find a website for Countryside Fibre, but their company details state that the business was only incorporated on 6th October 2023 and is being run by David Swanston (Director). David previously ran an altnet called RunFibre, before it was scooped up by FibreRay (here), and earlier this year he also setup another altnet and ISP called Gigability (inc. Gigability Infra) – focused on Shropshire (here).

Code Powers Statement

The Applicant is a new venture which seeks Code powers to facilitate the deployment of a Gigabit Capable full fibre optic infrastructure with Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology in North Somerset and across the United Kingdom.

The Applicant has stated that while it takes advantage of Openreach PIA products as much as it can, around 30% of its build is planned for private dig in the highway and private land, in an equal ratio across the two.

The Applicant intends to allow and encourage other providers to access its network to sell their products and thus increase the local economy, competition, and overall connectivity.

The Applicant has stated that it plans to roll out to premises in North Somerset premises, and the bespoke network used will be built and maintained by local, in-house engineers. Countryside Fibre sells broadband services to residential, business and on a wholesale basis. Beyond these areas, Countryside Fibre intends to roll out further infrastructure across the United Kingdom.

At present there are no details on the funding or roll-out plan for the new network, which currently seems to be more in the experimental stages of development. But suffice to say, starting a new alternative network (altnet) in this market, which is already aggressively competitive and under a lot of economic strain, is not for the faint of heart. Time will tell whether or not this one blossoms into something bigger.