B4RNs Lancashire FTTH Broadband Network Aided by FREE 4×4 Land Rover

The roll-out of B4RN’s (Broadband 4 Rural North) 1000Mbps capable and community-built Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband network in rural Lancashire (England, UK) has been given a boost after the team won a FREE Land Rover Freelander 2 4×4 vehicle to help their efforts.

It goes without saying that much of the terrain where B4RN has been working tends to consist of rugged farm land, which is often inaccessible to anything less than a four wheel drive vehicle. As a result the team decided to try their luck by applying to the inaugural Land Rover countryside bursary, which was set-up in partnership with The Princes Countryside Fund.

The Bursary serves to “award the rising stars of rural Britain and recognise their efforts to revitalise British countryside communities” and happily B4RN have just become one of the first ever beneficiaries of the bursary and will thus receive a free loan of the Land Rover Freelander 2.

So no more having to use spare farm / private vehicles or raw leg power (well maybe still a little of that).

B4RN Statement

“This will be indispensable to the team for pulling the trailer full of kit to to the many locations around the B4RN area. As the network deployment will be going on into the winter the Land Rover will certainly be put through its paces. Look out for some videos over the next few months of the Freelander 2.”

It is unclear how long B4RN will have with the vehicle, before it must be returned, although the promotion is part of a three-year partnership with The Prince’s Countryside Fund and that might offer a little clue. B4RN’s Martyn Dews has since told ISPreview.co.uk that the new vehicle “won’t be staying clean for long!”