Rural Broadband ISP Alncom Seek Code Powers for FTTP Rollout

Rural focused UK ISP Alncom, which alongside RunFibre are currently deploying a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across parts of Northumberland, Durham and South Gloucestershire (here), has put in an application for Code Powers with Ofcom in order to speed up their rollout.

Network builders often seek Code Powers in order to help speed-up their deployment of new fibre optic infrastructure and cut costs, not least by reducing the number of licenses needed for street works. It can also help facilitate access to run fibre through Openreach’s existing ducts and poles (PIA).

So far, Alncom and RunFibre have already started to extend their full fibre broadband network across a number of villages and smaller towns in their area of focus, such as Alnwick, College Valley, Powburn, Ellingham, Ingram Valley, Warkworth, Acklington and into the Scottish Borders area. More recently they’ve also been extending across Hawkesbury Upton, Inglestone Common and surrounding properties.

As a smaller ISP their build isn’t huge, and the network currently covers around 300 additional premises per month (including the laying of between 20 to 30km of fibre per month), although they’ve informed ISPreview.co.uk that this figure will double over the next 18 months.

Stephen Pinchen, Alncom’s Managing Director, said:

“We are focused on hard to serve communities in Northumberland and County Durham, using the voucher scheme and our own investment”.

Over the last 12 months, Alncom have built up fibre deployment expertise, using primarily a direct labour model with investment in equipment including a Mole plow, fibre blowing kit and specialist vehicles.”

The provider has so far been experiencing rapid growth in 2021, not least with an increase from 12 to 40 staff and thanks in no small part to the fresh investment from Railsite.