Fibrestream ( NextGenUs ), a UK community network specialist in superfast fibre optic broadband ISP services, has announced that it is "readying" the expansion of their network in Cumbria to include rural internet NotSpots in the neighbouring county of Lancashire.

The existing NextGenUs Cumbria FiWi (NGU Cumbria) project, which is supported by an investment of more than £1 Million (Phase One), officially began in July 2011 (here) and has since been working to connect up a number of isolated rural communities.

Its new project in Lancashire will apparently build upon that same investment and begin by connecting homes in the Lune Valley area (further details and registration). Fibrestream's privately funded and community owned approach cuts the costs of deployment by getting the community to help build their own network.


The move follows a very public spat (here) that recently broke out between Fibrestream and one of its rivals in Lancashire, the Broadband 4 Rural North (B4RN) project. Fibrestream claimed that some aspects of B4RN's business plan contained material that "may be in breach" of an existing Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and promptly threatened legal action.

Meanwhile B4RN's CEO, Barry Forde, recently spoke of being "bemused" by Jarvis's previous outburst. Forde added that, "B4RN has never had any relationship with Fibrestream nor do we intend to have one".

Fibrestream's expansion into Lancashire is likely to further sour relations between the two projects, which runs the risk of damaging consumer confidence and respect.