Allpay Broadband, a unique fixed wireless ( Wi-Fi ) internet provider that specialises in deploying its superfast broadband service to rural areas by placing the necessary transmitter at the top of local churches, has revealed more details about its plans to expand coverage across Herefordshire and southern Shropshire.

The project began earlier this year after Allpay, which initially started life by specialising in payment schemes for public and private sector organisations, sucessfully negotiated the UK's first Broadband Licence for Churches (here) with the Diocese of Hereford. Initially more than a dozen rural villages were set to be blessed with faster broadband connections of up to 35Mbps but that is now likely to increase.

Allpay Broadband's Current Coverage Plan
* Burghill (Active)
* Madley (Active)
* Wellington (Licence application submitted)
* Peterchurch (Licence application submitted)
* Preston-on-Wye (Pending)
* Staunton-on-Wye (Pending)
* Bridge Sollars (Pending)
* Brilley (Pending)
* The Bage (Pending)

The expectation is that Allpay's service will be available to each community by the end of 2011. However the operator has this week revealed that over 100 Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) in Herefordshire and South Shropshire have since registered their interest for the service.

Crucially Allpay has also confirmed that it is currently in "advanced talks" with Hereford Cathedral about deploying a similar service, which would be a somewhat more ambitious project to say the least. Another prominent church in the city, St Peter's, has also submitted a licence application for the service.


The communications regulator, Ofcom UK, has assisted the growing project by granting 'Code Powers' to Allpay Broadband. As a result the business is now a recognised ISP and can install its kit without having to apply for planning permission with churches situated inside conservation areas.

Allpay also hopes to grab a slice of the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) office's funding for superfast broadband in Herefordshire, which currently amounts to £6,350,000. However that could prove challenging as so far the BDUK framework has shown little interest in opening up to smaller providers and the shortlist of major operators has already been selected.

Never the less we think that Allpay is doing a magnificent job and there will always be remote rural areas, around 10% of the country according to current targets, that will be forced to stick with slower solutions (2Mbps minimum) unless similar services do the job that big operators don't want.