The B4RN Cheshire project, which is a region specific off-shoot of rural focused full fibre UK ISP B4RN, has confirmed that their “first customers [have started] to go live just in time for Christmas.” As usual the network build has been both partly funded and supported by local volunteers.
The local project, which exists outside of B4RN’s traditional network in the North of England, extends to a geographical area of around 12 square miles and incorporates the villages of Puddington, Burton, Capenhurst, Shotwick, Ness, Two Mills, Wood Bank and Ledsham (well over 1,000 premises). Receiving broadband speeds of better than 10Mbps can still be a major challenge for many of these communities.
Work on the Cheshire build started in the spring of this year with the installation of the project’s main cabinet in Capenhurst. Soon after that the team – a mix of professional contractors and local volunteers – began digging the duct for Route 1 (pictured below – Capenhurst to Shotwick).
Fast forward several months and the first homes have now started to go live in Capenhurst, with Shotwick due to be live in January. Customers will pay just £30 per month for a 1000Mbps (symmetrical) unlimited service and there’s also a one-off connection fee of £150 with a 1 month rolling contract.
Great work, Capenhurst live, Shotwick to be live in January and Puddington next? Well done the volunteers. Keep digging for your gig. Love the altnets.
I live in a small village called Mancot just outside Cheshire coverage zone. I don’t want to be paying crazy money for good internet.The is support from the government such as Gigabit Vouchers, it could be claimed to build another node and range could be extended to our village. I have emailed you about it but not 1 person got back to me. There are a lot of lands to pass through.
Yeah just as I expected.. No help for you go deal with it.. Bet there are stakeholders in that area that’s why they decided to build it around there and no future plans for expansion in the area,point blank.. Don’t ask anything we can’t help you if you are not the zone.Funny when I had a call with someone from B4RN lady on the phone told me “you can sign up but I don’t think that is going to help you with anything”. Well.. Thanks that helps!!
Kudos to anyone who invest sweat and their cash into solving the FTTP problem.
As opposed to just moaning about it.
Brillaint work, just gutted I am about 2 miles away and got to wait for someone to do the Urban builds in the area *Glares at Openreach*
Surprised that ISPReview has not had the slide rule over B4RN’s recent accounts.
If I was them. I’d look into expanding future area’s of Little Ness and Willaston both would love a provider such as B4RN instead of openreach. Both are in Cheshire and have lot of countryside around them.
Nothing stopping anyone doing it, but you have to have the support of your commmunity and the landowners. You also have to raise money, as the vouchers don’t pay for it all and aren’t issued until you are live, so working capital is raised from each area first. If you want to join in then visit those doing it, then do what they did. It is no use waiting for B4RN to come to you, it just helps those who help themselves. Sitting still and wishing made no person great. The good Lord provides the fishes, but you must dig the bait…
By the way, this antenna does require licensing or any other special permission.
hi Gig, I don’t think B4RN let you do that but you can check with them. info@b4RN.org.uk If the landowner is happy then it is actually easier to dig the fibre in and then you don’t have a wireless link to maintain. Where I live we had a wifi mesh, and we were all very happy to replace every link with fibre and have had no problems since. It is tons better with a fibre. We jumped from 30mbps to 1000mbps, no problems with electric cuts, trees, storms etc. now. And the price was still the same.