Broadband ISP Fibrus Pays Out £60k to N.Ireland Community Projects

Belfast-based alternative UK network builder and broadband ISP Fibrus, which is backed by investment from Infracapital, has today announced that they’ll be issuing grants worth a total of £60,000 to 30 community groups across Northern Ireland, which are being supported as part of their 2024 Community Fund.

So far Fibrus have already allocated £175k to local groups in Northern Ireland since launching the fund in 2021, with a further £120,000 allocated to Cumbria. The grants, which are worth up to £2,000 for each organisation selected, typically focus on organisations or projects that help to address issues like digital poverty or fostering inclusivity within local communities.

Delivered in partnership with The Community Foundation Northern Ireland, the Fibrus Community Fund has now provided grants to over 100 community groups across the region. Some of the latest in N.Ireland to be supported from the 2024 Fund include The Tuesday Club in Cookstown, Tempo Community Playgroup in Enniskillen and Friends of St Mary’s Primary School in Craigavon.

In addition, Fibrus are separately supporting grassroots sports clubs in Northern Ireland and Cumbria – for a second year – through ‘Fibrus Play it Forward‘, a £50,000 funding pot.

Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer at Fibrus, said:

“One of our primary goals is to enhance people’s lives by improving digital literacy and connectivity, and this is what the Fund seeks to achieve.

We believe every person deserves access to essential services in Northern Ireland and beyond and The Fibrus Community Fund is a vital part of our mission to foster a more digitally inclusive society.

This year, we received some fantastic applications from organisations working hard to support those in need in their community and we are honoured to play a part in their journey.

We eagerly anticipate seeing these groups grow and develop in the coming months.”

Meanwhile, the network operator’s gigabit broadband network has, as of 31st March 2024, already been expanded to cover 354,000 premises (337k RFS) across parts of England and N.Ireland, which is up from 339,000 premises on 31st January 2024 (321,000 RFS). In addition, the operator recently grew their customer base to over 80,000.

Residential customers can expect to pay from £24.99 £21.99 per month for download speeds of 159Mbps (average) and uploads of 34Mbps on a 24-month term (£39.99 thereafter), which rises to £44.99 £39.99 for their top 982Mbps (310Mbps) tier (£59.99 thereafter). The packages also include an Amazon Eero 6+ router (or routers), UK support, free setup and the pledge of “no mid-contract price hikes“. Prices may differ in areas of subsidised build.