Garforth Residents Vent Anger Over Giggle Fibre’s FTTP Pole Deployment
Residents in part of Garforth, which is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds (England), have vented anger at alternative network operator Giggle Fibre (aka – Giggle, Giggle Broadband, Giggle Holdings) and pledged to “boycott the service” after they complained it had started deploying lots of “unsightly” new poles for their full fibre broadband network.
The deployment of wood poles to run overhead fibre is a common practice (over 4 million have already been built). This is because they’re quick and cost-effective to build (several times cheaper than trenching), can be deployed in areas where there may be no space or access agreement to safely put new underground cables, are less disruptive (avoiding the noise, access restrictions and damage to pavements of street works) and can be built under Permitted Development (PD) rights with only minimal prior notice.
However, not everybody is a fan of poles (particularly those living in areas that haven’t had them before), which has caused a sharp rise in complaints and protests from residents in various parts of the UK. The complaints usually highlight their negative visual appearance, as well as concerns about their exposure to damage from major storms, a lack of effective prior consultation, duplication of existing infrastructure and various other things.
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In this latest example, the target of such complaints seems to be Giggle Fibre, which started life in early 2023 with a build focused on Glasgow in Scotland (here) and then later in that same year experienced somewhat of a management buyout (here).
Another change occurred last November 2024, when Leeds-based Harmony Networks Limited was listed as having gained significant control over Giggle Fibre Limited (here). This was around the same time as Harmony also acquired the assets of alternative broadband operator Spring Fibre for £1.5m (here), which had built to cover 12,000 premises in several UK locations (e.g. Lincoln, Mablethorpe, Louth, Garforth/Kippax, Great Preston etc.) before running out of money.
Since then, Giggle Fibre’s network deployment appears to have increased, although we’ve yet to receive any announcements about their future coverage plans or retail ISP support (they appear to be building an open access wholesale network). But we do now know that Garforth is one of their latest deployment locations, albeit seemingly only because the BBC News has just reported on how angry local residents are about it.
Residents point out that, until recently, the town’s cables were mostly deployed underground in East Garforth and that Giggle’s new poles are “unsightly“, with “hideous wires” coming off them. Similarly, the Independent City Councillor (Leeds), Mark Dobson, has called on Giggle Fibre to “stop … erecting 100’s of telegraph poles in Garforth – a cheap & nasty way to deliver broadband“. Locals have also complained about a lack of public engagement by the operator.
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At the time of writing, Giggle Fibre had not provided a comment to the BBC (we’ve also contacted Giggle for a comment), although a local community action group (here) has posted the response they received from Giggle.
Giggle Fibre’s Response to Community Concerns
We understand the concerns regarding the installation of telegraph poles and their potential impact on the local area. We appreciate the opportunity to provide some context around our approach and the challenges we have encountered in delivering high-speed broadband to the community.
According to recent research and reports from estate agents having gigabit connectivity (or “full fibre” broadband) can significantly increase the value of your home. Fast internet is now considered a key feature for many potential buyers especially with the rise of remote work and streaming entertainment; Studies suggest it can add several thousand pounds to a property’s value.
As a collective of local companies based in Micklefield, employing approximately 80 local residents, we have been working on this project for over a year. Throughout this process, we have carefully considered all available options to minimise disruption while ensuring reliable and future-proof connectivity. Our priority is to utilise existing infrastructure wherever possible to reduce the need for trench excavation, footpath closures, roadworks, and diversions. In some areas, we have successfully collaborated with Openreach to share infrastructure. However, much of the existing underground network in East Garforth, which was installed in the 1970s, consists of direct-buried cables without suitable ducting. This makes it impractical for shared use and significantly limits alternative installation methods.
Additionally, previous installations by a different Statutory Undertaker have presented further challenges. Unfortunately, some of their network was not installed in line with their own specifications, industry standards, or The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. This has led to multiple instances of damage, resulting in legal disputes over repair costs. Given these risks, the only viable solution to complete the network build in this area is the installation of new telegraph poles.
We understand that overhead infrastructure may not be the preferred solution for all residents, and we sincerely appreciate your feedback. Our goal remains to provide high-quality broadband access while working as considerately as possible within the constraints of the existing infrastructure and regulatory framework.
Installing fibre via telegraph poles is a well-established, efficient, minimally disruptive method with a low environmental impact. While we understand that some residents would prefer an underground network, as demonstrated, this approach presents considerable challenges. The risk of damaging existing underground utilities, many of which have not been installed to industry standards, is too high to make this a practical method of deploying the network.
Regarding the planned pole locations, the sites were selected following thorough site visits and careful planning. The process used adheres to the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice. Through this process ewe have managed to reduce the number of planned poles from 487 to 262 poles in the entirety of Garforth, Kippax and Allerton Bywater in Garforth.
The operator did initially pause their deployment of new poles, which came after pressure from Leeds Highways, and the local MP for Leeds East, Richard Burgon, was applied. But work recently resumed and the operator now seems reluctant to engage in another public meeting after they said the previous one “at times … became unstructured, limiting productive discussion” (i.e. it was rather heated).
Burgon added: “What we want is for the community to be treated with respect and consideration. Giggle Fibre, and any broadband company that uses their telegraph poles, should expect a big boycott from local residents.”
At this point it’s worth noting that both Openreach and Virgin Media have already covered most of the area with their own gigabit-capable broadband networks, while Netomnia (Brsk) has also built over a large chunk of the town. Suffice to say that it’s a challenging place for a new altnet like Giggle to be targeting, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping them.
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Meanwhile, the government is preparing to publish a revised Code of Practice (preview here) that should, as Sir Chris Bryant (Telecoms Minister) put it, require providers to “pay greater attention to the communities’ concerns” and to build underground wherever possible (operators already do this as it’s the most cost-effective approach, albeit only when available to them).
The revised code, as currently drafted, is not expected to deliver major changes. But it will focus on ensuring that network operators communicate better with communities (identifying areas where this is needed). The Code will introduce clearer rules on where not to site poles, as well as guidance on what to do with pole complaints and where re-siting is appropriate.
On top of that, the Code will include an industry commitment to consider pole impact during the planning and installation stages, as well as a commitment to consider utilising existing poles. But many questions, such as around the difficult issue of enforcement, remain.
The government clearly have a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, they need to ensure that the concerns raised by communities, like those in Garforth, are not simply ignored and have some impact. On the other hand, they must avoid implementing any measures that might risk damaging the wider roll-out and cost models, which could risk their ambitions for making a “renewed push to fulfil the ambition of full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030” (here).
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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They’re having a laugh!!
Sounds like there are at least 3 other competitors there so why the need for another lot of poles and spaghetti wiring?
Many Altnets don’t even bother taking the old copper line away when a customer takes out fibre installation, this would at least help to reduce wires strewn across streets and people’s view lines from windows. BT let operators remove copper lines from a few months ago, so no excuses now…
They bought Spring Fibre’s spine they went bust building through Garforth, Kippax, etc. Now they want to make money on it as cheaply as possible. In areas with almost ubiquitous Virgin Media coverage and apart from Garforth itself where it’s just a majority almost ubiquitous FTTP coverage from Netomnia or Openreach.
They’re not as bad as IXWireless but they are in that ballpark.
THats why they call them Giggle fibre thay do not care about our environment
“hideous wires” – If they are not able to produce photos to demonstrate where beautiful wires have been used elsewhere and compare those photos to these “hideous wires” then they are just wires.
Place a wire in the middle of a bundle it’s a wire. Place it over the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel it’s a hideous wire. Context matters.
Grew up in Garforth, East Garforth has Virgin and Openreach underground so can appreciate no-one really has time for unnecessary poles which won’t be used by 95% of residents.
Well, stop complaining about not having decent speeds at reasonable cost.
Did anyone say they were?
They already have Openreach FTTP and Virgin underground, they don’t need this.
Even though I’m all pro fibre, I can understand the residents in this case…
How did Openreach etc manage to get it deployed underground if they can’t?
Realistically, this network will go bust at some point anyways – and then the poles will remain there with no purpose. Probably will be bought by CF before that, though.
Although the area might be well-served by Openreach and Virgin installations where the particular problems exist outlined by Giggle in their statement (of below industry standard and unducted cabling) Openreach have no interest in installing FTTP as it is a high-cost project. I know this because I live on a small development dating from the 70s in a village in Nottinghamshire (the entire rest of the village is now served by FTTP). The cabling in place in our development at a distance of a mile from the street cabinet can barely support delivery of existing phone services. Unfortunately, the residents of the Garforth areas affected need to be cognisant of the fact that this is their chance to access FTTP and no-one is going to arrive soon to offer it any other way. When Openreach refused to install on our estate they quoted a ‘prohibitive’ cost of £1300 per dwelling to remedy the condition of their network infrastructure; their priority is to maximise returns to shareholders and not delivery to customers in uneconomic installs. I would be signing up to Giggle not petitions
Is overbuilding a functional telephony network to fully duct it for fibre provision ‘remediation’? Seems to me to be, well, overbuild.
Yes, Openreach are part of a publicly traded company. They aren’t there to deliver to customers in uneconomic installs except where the law requires it. If you’ve an issue with this petition the government: they’re the ones who make the laws. Chances are government schemes will result in a build to you: check the Think Broadband maps.
Most of Garforth itself has either Openreach or Netomnia FTTP available. Kippax and Allerton Bywater the coverage between the two of them is near ubiquitous. Virgin Media coverage is virtually ubiquitous. This isn’t a place where the options are copper, 5G or nothing. They’ve every right to be unhappy with this. It seems far more about trying to get some value from buying the Spring Fibre spine than bringing service to the underserved. You could say they’re trying to maximise returns to their shareholders.
Exactly this, whilst companies suchas Netomnia and Openreach have covered numerous parts of the Garforth and Kippax there are several areas that are still DIG and there is hardly any ducting between the Openreach ground boxes or the properties themselves.
The one bit I would say is it is a little annoying to see Giggle putting posts up in areas which have recently been “ducted” as part of the OR fibre roll out but then alot of those areas still aren’t live with OR anyway, the fibre has past each property but it hasn’t actually been setup to provide service to the properties yet
It also doesn’t help that in some of the local posts/comments condemming the poles they have mentioned them being used as 5G transmission points which isn’t true, whilst we have had Connexia installing their LoRaWAN technology there is no use of poles for standard wireless internet or 5G
Personally, I agree that ducted areas should have had their effort to run the fibre in the ducting. But then the previous company (Spring) went to the effort of running their fibre in ducts to a cull-de-sac right next to a pole so I’m not sure if they were doing it just for vocal residents or for a particular reason
Right now there is a substantial amount of Garforth and Kippax that is served solely by Virgin and the service has deteriorated in recent months due to issues with the backbone of the network needing work. Most locals agree we need better service and are understanding that the poles that have been put up aren’t a huge amount
If they’re only in the DIG areas that haven’t been upgraded fine. If they’re overbuilding Netomnia and Openreach extensively with them not so fine. Openreach are able to provide FTTP where there’s no duct to properties as long as they’ve the fibre network in chambers in the street.
Can see Garforth has a fair amount of unserved areas however Kippax, Great Preston and Allerton Bywater don’t. In bits of Garforth they are putting poles in streets that already have Openreach or Netomnia full fibre. Virgin Media will be putting fibre in their ducts in East Garforth in the next few months. Openreach are working on full fibre in East Garforth right now: can see the upgrade progress via Think Broadband’s address level FTTP map, combination of ducts to chambers building the FTTP drop on demand and new duct and drops.
Address 23 RIBBLESDALE AVENUE GARFORTH, LEEDS LS25 2AZ on Exchange GARFORTH is served by Cabinet 31
Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG partial Direct In Ground.
FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.
Address 13 KIRKBY AVENUE GARFORTH, LEEDS LS25 2BN on Exchange GARFORTH is served by Cabinet 11
Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG Pre built to curtilage Soft.
FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.
Address 2 LONG MEADOWGATE GARFORTH, LEEDS LS25 2BX on Exchange GARFORTH is served by Cabinet 11
Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG partial Direct In Ground.
FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.
Given the poles are going in where Openreach seem to be enabling FTTP or where there’s existing FTTP I can understand the frustration.
This is a wholesale network, any idea who the providers are and at what price? If there’s not a far superior option to Openreach or Virgin Media’s full fibre this is poles for no purpose besides that they bought the spine network and need to try and monetise it.
East Garforth resident here!
The area is almost entirely DIG. Hoewever, Openreach are installing FTTP ‘on demand’. The vast majority is ready for service and orderable. They are doing civils work as required to install (though it’s not particularly quick). They typically seem to be building 5-6 premises at a time as each order comes through.
Virgin Media dug up the pavements 7-8 years ago as project lightning. and installed fibre everywhere. They are currently upgrading from DOCSIS to XGS-PON. Their Nokia OLTs are sat in the cabs ready to start serving.
They are reducing costs by reducing the amount of poles they are intending to build compared to the predecessor. My street has gone from 5 poles, to 1. This means that they are lashing fibre over properties in order to connect poles together.
The way Giggle are acting makes it clear they have no intention of selling services on the network. From the first notice of road works to the current end – which covers the entire of Garforth – it will be 4-6 weeks. It has been rapid and they refuse to meet with the residents to discuss concerns.
I fully expect once its been built it will be on the market. Considering the existing service I doubt they will make their investment back.
Kippax does or rather did have unserved areas, the problem is that whilst a lot of the area has been enabled for fibre through ducts (And even then that was delayed and only seemed to start as a result of AltNets pushing ahead in the area) it passes the house. If you wanted to roll out fibre you would still have to dig up the drives to each property to do it. Whilst I understand this as you wouldn’t roll out the red carpet for your competitor from a commercial stance what Giggle are doing in some areas is using the poles purely to distribute to the houses (Not all but some).
Completely get the frustration in areas where they are running backbone fibre over ducted areas as that just doesn’t make much sense however there also needs to be an understanding that several residents have prevented or at least made it harder for those to upgrade to fibre by rejecting or complaining about the digging needed to enable each individual property. There needs to be a balance as you can see on the current uptake, people want fibre but do they want it dug up for each property or do they want a pole? That’s one for the residents of each street to decide
With VM, they dug up a lot of Garforth and Kippax back in 2014/2015 however it’s mostly micro-duct so it can’t be used by other providers easily
In terms of availability, yes there are lots of properties in Garforth that are FTTP enabled (Not even on-demand, but they will come and feed it to your house inclusive of setup) but there are also many areas that aren’t enabled on either side of Ninelands lane (Not directly but the estates near Fairburn Drive and Derwent Avenue). The examples put are there but there is still an unacceptable amount of the area that is only served by VM for FTTP
I’ve no doubt that OR will get round to connecting up the majority of these DIG areas that are still not connected at some point but again, it still comes round to the issue of the street needing to have some civils for each property to be connected. The good news is they tend to connect each property along the way with a toby box but its still a substantial amount of construction that locals also don’t really like either.
As Dave has also mentioned, based on the information we have had from Giggle it looks like they have no interest in selling direct to consumers and will remain solely as network operators or will sell it off to another AltNet in due course (Potentially CityFibre as they are in nearby areas such as Woodlesford?)
I completely sympathise with the disruption and lack of notice, but by the same token several residents are ready for fibre and have no issue with it, likewise the local opposition has been very selective (In my opinion) in the areas where they have posted their notice, often not putting any posters in areas that have no FTTP connectivity other than VM. Whether this is intended or not I don’t know but it’s something interesting
This and many other articles show the telecommunications industry for what it is , a disorganised chaotic industry that need robust codes of practise and regulation by OFCOM to stop the multitude of overbuilds across the UK
Why stop with the telecoms industry. Most services in the UK are disorganised, chaotic & overpriced. Typical UK malaise, lets talk about it, have a committee or three & finish with a public inquiry rather than get on & do something practical.
Why would Ofcom stop competition? Literally the opposite of what they are supposed to do.
I live on the Longmeadows estate. We already have virgin and fibre via Openreach and don’t need these unsightly poles and wires all over the place. The company is ignoring this fact and just doing what they want
Dont think this is the Glasgow Giggle people anymore, according to companies house they seem to have all resigned from Giggle Fibre Ltd in November 24 and a new director added. Looks like a change of ownership the new director Chris Durkan also runs SDC group, TCG and Harmony Networks in Leeds who, according to Isp review, purchased Sprint networks at the same time. So it could be one of those companies fibre networks division.