New Video Shows 1Gbps B4RN Broadband Network in Lancashire Being Built

The B4RN (Broadband 4 Rural North) project, which recently began work on a new service that aims to connect thousands of rural homes in northern Lancashire UK via a unique 1Gbps (Gigabits per second) capable FTTH broadband ISP network (here), has posted a lovely new video of their fibre optic infrastructure being built.

Development of the new service, which is designed to be non-profit and operates through shared community involvement and funding, officially began on 31st March 2012 when roughly 100 locals turned up to help dig and lay the first fibre optic cable in a field near Jubilee Tower at Quernmore.

Since then progress appears to have been steady, despite some appalling weather conditions, and as a result the B4RN team has collected together a few fun bits of amateur footage to help show what it’s like to build your own next generation FTTH broadband network.

According to B4RN, the money from the shareholders has so far “financed the purchase of enough stock to complete the whole core route of phase 1“, although they are still accepting investments from the public to finance the remainder of this work.

Phase 1 itself saw construction begin midway along the route between Quernmore (network core) and Abbeystead, initially reaching about 500 local homes and businesses (premises). The total cost of the Phase 1 core is said to be around £364,000.

But the project could soon come under competitive pressure after April’s confirmation by the Lancashire County Council (LCC) that BT would seek to extend their superfast broadband ISP technology (FTTC, FTTP) out to 97% of the county by the end of 2014 (here). It remains to be seen whether or not this will have any impact upon B4RN’s longer term strategy.