ThinkingWISP Extends Wireless Broadband to 90 Percent of Norfolk UK

Fixed wireless broadband ISP ThinkingWISP can now reach 90% of Norfolk in England after it was able to install two new masts in Outwell (near Wisbech) and at Gayton (near King’s Lynn). The new infrastructure also gives them some coverage in the counties of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.

The ISP was first established in 2011, with funding of just £37k, as a local partnership between the Norfolk Rural Community Council, InTouch Systems and AF Affinity. The initial transmitter was installed at Norwich Airport and linked with another mast in Marsham, with the aim being to improve Internet access around rural Norfolk and some parts of Suffolk.

Since then the £41 million state aid supported Better Broadband for Norfolk project has launched, which intends to expand the reach of BT’s fixed line fibre broadband (FTTC/P) network to cover 80% of Norfolk’s premises by the end of 2015 (this is likely to be expanded in the very near future).

However the BT project still leaves many areas with poor connectivity and that’s where ThinkingWISP hopes to make a difference, although it’s not the cheapest service (£50.99 if you want “unlimited” usage + a 199 inc. VAT installation charge) and their top download speed of 10Mbps (3Mbps uploads) might need to be upgraded as regional fixed line connectivity improves to go much faster.

But for now they can at least focus on the gaps where 2Mbps+ is still considered a small miracle. Luckily.. or unluckily.. Norfolk has a lot of gaps.