As major telecom providers such as BT and Virgin Media roll out super-fast broadband in population centres around the country through fibre optic cabling, in rural areas of the country, there is growing impatience over when, and if the network will be installed, with the Countryside Alliance last week revealing that work was yet to begin on the majority of the government’s rural fast broadband pilot schemes.
But rather than just waiting for these telecom companies to install cabling in their area, many residents of rural Britain are taking it upon themselves to get connected to super-fast broadband. A new initiative announced on Thursday (15 December 2011), finds people in one of the most remote parts of the country coming together to fund a broadband connection that will boast impressive connection speeds.
At an event in Lancaster, residents of the Trough of Bowland and the Lune Valley who have formed the organisation B4RN launched their company and a share scheme to help fund it. The campaign members all live in areas of Lancashire, North Yorkshire and Cumbria that have small and sporadic populations, making it unlikely that BT or Virgin Media will find installation of cables in the area economically viable.
More than 700 people in the area have registered their interest in paying £30 per month to get their homes connected to a new fibre optic network, although the heads of the campaign believe it will need to raise nearly £2 million to finance the infrastructure. This will cover the purchase of ducting that the cables will run through and help train local residents to install the new network.
This is where the share plan comes in. Local people will be offered the chance to contribute between £100 and £20,000 to get the installation started. A contribution of £1,500 will also guarantee free connection for the first 12 months.
Rural communities throughout the country will be following any developments in B4RN’s plan closely. If the campaign raises its required amount, this could spark a wave of similar locally funded schemes.