Residents in Broomhall near Nantwich are benefiting from improved digital connectivity following the rollout of gigabit broadband services in the area.
It was delivered as part of a community fibre partnership funded by the government’s Gigabit broadband voucher scheme and the Connecting Cheshire top-up voucher scheme.
Villagers have been actively engaging with broadband suppliers and Cheshire East Council to try to secure better connectivity for several years.
They faced challenges due to existing network complexities and the rurality of the village.
In summer 2022 they engaged with Openreach as a supplier and used the voucher schemes to deliver gigabit capable fibre broadband to 13 premises deemed some of the most difficult to reach.
Ann Pye, Broomhall’s community broadband lead, said: “As a community, we are delighted with the arrival of full fibre broadband in Broomhall and Newhall, something we have been campaigning for over many years.
“This upgrade will undoubtedly boost our community’s potential for growth and innovation.
“We thank Openreach for their commitment in making this a reality and this wouldn’t have been possible without the wholehearted support of residents and businesses in the community, Connecting Cheshire, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Edward Timpson MP and Rachel Bailey, our ward councillor.”
Audlem ward Cllr Rachel Bailey said: “The dedication from the Broomhall community and local project lead Ann Pye has been truly inspiring.
“Through tireless efforts, the technology locally has been revolutionised, providing future proofed broadband capabilities.”
Cllr Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council’s economy and growth committee, said: “Seeing communities like Broomhall come together and utilise voucher funding to secure a future proofed connection is a fantastic example of how the hardest to connect properties can be reached.
“We have many active community schemes across Cheshire currently in their delivery stages, with more due to complete imminently.”
Gigabit broadband offers improved download speeds of up to 1,000mbps, fewer delays in opening webpages, and ability to connect multiple devices at the same time.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is also undertaking a Cheshire wide procurement for Project Gigabit.
More information can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/project-gigabit-uk-gigabit-programme
Recent Comments