ISP Gigaclear Extend Rural FTTP Broadband Rollout into Suffolk

The Infracapital-backed UK ISP Gigaclear has today announced that their rollout of a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband networks is being extended into rural parts of Suffolk (England), which will initially include thousands of homes and businesses across six large and medium-sized villages.

So far the operator’s network, which already covers over 250,000 premises, is already present in rural communities and market towns across parts of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Kent and Essex.

However, the ISP will initially invest £7m to extend their full fibre network into Suffolk, which is expected to reach over 7,000 premises across the region. The first locations to benefit will include the villages of Clare, Glemsford, Long Melford, Great Waldingfield, Acton and Lavenham.

The expansion of Gigaclear’s network build to these communities is expected to be completed by the Spring of 2023.

Tony Smith, Gigaclear’s East Regional General Manager, said:

“Fast broadband speeds are a necessity for a modern economy. The way in which we live and work depends on the internet, something that has been sharply underlined by the pandemic. We believe in digital inclusion for all and we’re excited to bring our network to more people so they can enjoy the life-changing benefits that come with world-leading connectivity.

Suffolk is a completely new area for us, but given our build activity in neighbouring Essex, this move simply made sense. We’ve already started our work in the community of Clare, connecting those suffering from inadequate broadband provision to our ultrafast network. It really will transform the lives of so many in the region.”

New customers to the service can expect to pay from £17 a month (discounted rate) for a symmetric 200Mbps broadband package on an 18-month term (£40 thereafter) and that rises to £49 (£79 thereafter) for their top 830Mbps plan. All packages include a wireless router and free installation.