Broadway Partners Secures Investment to Boost TVWS Broadband

Broadway Partners, which has deployed a number of TV White Space (TVWS) based wireless superfast broadband ISP network pilots across rural parts of the UK, has secured additional private investment from Souter Investments in order to help expand coverage into new areas.

The TVWS technology is designed to dynamically utilise the gaps in radio spectrum that exist between Digital Terrestrial Television channels (470-790MHz) in order to deliver data, which gives the service good coverage characteristics and that makes it useful for serving remote rural areas.

A number of pioneering rural wireless networks using TVWS, such as around Loch Ness and the Isle of Arran in Scotland, as well as in parts of Wales (e.g. Llanarth in Monmouthshire), have already benefited. Some of the more mature deployments can deliver download speeds of  ‘up to’ 50Mbps from around £30 per month (example).

We still know very little about the actual cost of such deployments but Broadway Partners are confident that their model is working and they’ve now attracted some much needed financial support from Souter Investments to fuel their growth.

Michael Armitage, Founder and Chairman of Broadway, said:

“We are extremely pleased to have an investor of the calibre of Souter Investments supporting us in this exciting venture. People need to be connected, wherever they are, in town or country, at home or at work, and TV WhiteSpace is an important part of the mix of technologies that can guarantee that digital connectivity is available to fully 100% of the population”.

Calum Cusiter, Investment Director of Souter Investments, said:

“High speed broadband connectivity has become almost utility like in its importance to participating fully in society, whether that is in personal or business matters. Broadway has impressed us by their enthusiasm for the challenge of providing this service to rural and underserved communities, and by embracing new technology and new business models to make it both possible and affordable.

We are excited by the potential in this market and believe we are backing a first class management team at Broadway that is well placed to make the most of the opportunity”.

Unfortunately there’s no word on how much money Souter will actually be investing (for all we know it could be £1 or £10 million+ etc.). Nevertheless now is certainly the right time for it. At present the Scottish, Welsh and UK Governments are all trying to figure out the best way to reach the final few percent of remote rural communities, with fixed wireless networks being one of several potential options.