West Yorkshire Hamlet of Slippery Ford Gets 30Mbps Wireless Broadband

UK ISP Boundless Networks has successfully deployed a new fixed wireless superfast broadband network to cater for residents of Slippery Ford, which is a tiny rural hamlet and part of the Worth Valley in West Yorkshire that has long campaigned for faster internet connectivity.

Local residents are no strangers to sub-1Mbps broadband speeds (many get closer to 0.25Mbps), which is largely because the community exists too far away from the otherwise reasonably capable Cross Hills (MYCSH) telephone exchange, which serves a total of roughly 6,000 premises across the whole region.

The good news is that Boundless Networks has been busy working with local contractor Pennine Plus to deploy their 100Mbps capable “ultrafast broadband” wireless network (line-of-sight) into the area, which means that residential properties can now access download speeds of up to 30Mbps (10Mbps upload) and businesses are able to request something even faster.

The new network is also being rolled out across other parts of North Yorkshire and Lancashire over the next 3 years, with various communities including Kilnsey, Conistone, Buckden and Starbotton already live. Boundless claims that its total UK network now covers over 3,500 square miles, with approximately 4,000 wireless links in service and a “private national fibre network” from its data centre in Manchester.

David Hood, Boundless Networks Chairman, said:

“We are really proud and pleased to be the provider of superfast broadband to Slippery Ford, bringing real, positive life changes and opportunities, and hope to offer the same services to other parts of the Worth Valley struggling with connectivity. We are investing in providing services that other providers say are not possible and I am proud to be able to deliver these services to local villages and communities.”

Alison Porter, Slippery Ford Resident, added:

“Thanks to Boundless Networks and their wireless broadband solution we now have 30 Mbps wireless broadband and no longer feel so isolated, but rather part of the rest of the world. We are ecstatic; we are tucked out of the way up here and no-one else has ever been able to get superfast broadband to us before – getting emails has been about it.

We were told it was not possible by other providers and yet here we are able to access the Internet, download files, films and generally get on with life far better. It’s great value too and is not capped, so you have unlimited download capacity. What’s more, we don’t need a landline anymore.”

According to the ISP’s website, customers can take a top download speed of 30Mbps (10Mbps upload) for £29.99 inc. VAT on a 12 month contract, which doesn’t include the £150.00 one-off installation charge (this comes with a router). The cheapest package available costs from £19.99 per month and offers symmetric speeds of 10Mbps.

The usage allowance is stated to be “unlimited“, although they attach a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) to this that vaguely threatens to restrict users “who download large amounts at peak times regularly.”

NOTE: Ultrafast residential packages are apparently available and start from only £42.99 per month, although these still don’t show up on the ISP’s website.