B4RN Extend 1Gbps FTTH Broadband in Lancashire UK to 21 Parishes

The non-profit B4RN (Broadband 4 Rural North) project has confirmed that its “hyperfast” 1000Mbps capable community-built and funded Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) based broadband network in rural Lancashire (England) will now be extended from 8 to 21 parishes and a new share offer has been launched to support the move.

At present Phase 1 of B4RN’s core network build, which will connect various communities between Quernmore and Arkholme in the Lower Lune Valley area, is designed to pass more than 400 premises before later reaching roughly 1,500 to 2,000 via further investment. It was revealed in February 2013 that B4RN was already busy connecting 157 homes to its FTTH network (here) with 300 passed.

So far most of this effort has focused on delivering the fibre optic cable to premises in 8 parishes from B4RN’s original plan. But strong demand will now see this extend to a further 21 parishes “on the edges of our network“.

B4RN’s Martyn Dews said:

“Currently we are working on the core route between the 8 parishes in our original plan. Some villages have decided they don’t want to wait much longer, and have got together and raised the funding needed to join themselves on to the core, as our first share offer was to fund the core only. Our second share offer is now available and offers a free connection worth £150 for anyone becoming a shareholder of 1500 shares.

Every community has people in it who are keen to build the infrastructure to bring our rural area into the digital age. We need those people to gather the volunteers together in each area because they are needed to do the building. It isn’t rocket science, its basically just common sense, laying the duct deep enough to be out of harm’s way in straight lines and level, so we can blow the fibre through it.”

As before the non-profit project continues to operate through shared community involvement and funding. For example, some locals are helping to build the network in return for shares and others are supplying more direct financial support.

The project is now looking for more investment in order to help them complete phase 1 of the network, which suffered some delays during last year’s wet summer, and to cover all the areas and any other villages, hamlets or farms that might be within reach.

The 21 Rural Lancashire Parishes

Arkholme with Cawood
Burrow with Burrow
Cantsfield
Littledale part of Caton (also including Brookhouse and Caton Green along with some parts of the core of Caton)
Claughton
Ellel
Gressingham
Halton with Aughton
Hornby with Farleton
Ireby
Leck
Melling with Wrayton
Over Wyresdale
Quernmore
Roeburndale
Scotforth
Tatham
Tunstall
Wennington
Whittington
Wray with Botton

The original plan notes that Phase 1 of B4RN’s project is predicted to cost around £1.86 million and they’ve already raised at least enough (roughly £400,000) for the main ‘core network’ build. More investment is now being prepped to extend into the new areas.

PS – Sorry for being a little behind on this news, we missed it due to the Easter Break.