Broadband for Rural Kent to Launch Openreach FTTP Packages
Fixed wireless and full fibre ISP Broadband for Rural Kent (B4RK), which models itself on B4RN’s community build strategy and has been deploying its own Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, looks set to complement that effort in 2022 by launching a new range of full fibre packages on Openreach’s national network.
The new service was set up a little while ago by its Director, Tim Higgs. Back in June 2021 (here) the provider began connecting their first homes in the remote rural hamlet of Oversland, which sits between the parishes of Boughton-under-Blean and Selling (i.e. their initial build area). The operator has also previously expressed an “ambition to cover 30,000 rural premises with gigabit capable fibre by 2025.”
Customers on their alternative FTTP network currently pay from £30 inc. VAT per month for a 100Mbps (30Mbps upload) package on a 12-month term with an included Wi-Fi 6 router (ZyXEL), which rises to £40 for 300Mbps (100Mbps upload) and then £50 for the top 900Mbps (300Mbps upload) tier. Faster business packages with symmetric speeds are also available, albeit at extra cost.
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However, B4RK has this week announced that they’re “excited to be relaunching our full-fibre broadband services for 2022,” which in practice means that they intend to complement their alternative FTTP network build in Kent by adopting a national UK solution via Openreach’s growing full fibre network (i.e. available to those outside of their patch in Kent – coverage allowing).
The new Openreach based FTTP packages will come attached to a 12-month contract term, as well as a £29.99 one-off connection fee, included Wi-Fi 6 router, unlimited usage and a promise of “no in-contract price increases.” The key packages are as follows.
B4RK’s Openreach FTTP Packages (Monthly)
Openreach FTTP 150/25mbps = £39.99
Openreach FTTP 500/70Mbps = £49.99
Openreach FTTP 940/110Mbps = £59.99
You can also add a Static IP address to this for an extra £2 per month or a Wi-Fi 6 Mesh device to boost home wireless (LAN) coverage for £59 each.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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(Before Chris C says it)
Go the Altnets…. [Sarcasm]
Lowest form of wit dear summer.
@chris condor
You’re too kind (just a little bit more for you).
Barking loudly indeed. More power to their elbows 🙂
Who’s BT wholesale connection are they reselling for the national Openreach FTTP coverage?
Looks like B4RK became a RIPE LIR in November, but I can’t find any ASN or IP assignments in the RIPE DB.
Are they just reselling Daisy / ICUK / Zen ? presumably not an L2TP handoff if they haven’t their own IP space yet.