B4RN Connect 2,450 Rural North England Premises to 1Gbps Broadband

The B4RN (Broadband for the Rural North) project, which has been busy rolling out a 1000Mbps community built and funded fibre optic (FTTP/H) broadband network to rural homes in parts of Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire, has now activated its 2,450th connection and they continue to expand. JFDI.

The latest total marks a significant growth from the already respectable figure of 1,600 that we recorded in February 2016, which isn’t a surprise when you consider that local people help to build the physical network and this also encourages a strong take-up (averaging around 65% in related communities, but rising to 100% in some areas).

Customers pay just £30 per month for a 1000Mbps (symmetrical) unlimited service and there’s also a one-off connection fee of £150, which is absurdly cheap when you consider that it’s a Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH/P) style network. Of course none of this would be possible without all those excellent volunteers.

The good news is that B4RN’s roll-out hasn’t stopped and many more communities have since lined up to join the effort, often by raising enough investment locally and then gathering together a group of willing volunteers to help conduct the civil works. All under the guidance of B4RN and without any state aid support.

This week alone the network has found its way through various hedge rows and over boggy fields to reach the village of Clapham in Yorkshire, but plenty more look set to follow. In fact B4RN now hope to have 3,000 active connections by the end of April 2017. Happy Christmas to all those reached by B4RN’s network.