Local broadband providers

Read all about the local broadband initiatives setup to provide excellent broadband speeds and coverage to users within rural and city locations around the UK.

City & Rural Broadband

Even in this day and age some households within the UK find it impossible to get decent broadband coverage. Often this will be within rural areas where the large national broadband providers will not opt to invest in an infrastructure upgrade because it would be deemed to be unprofitable.

Where broadband connections are slow or unreliable in certain locations, smaller companies and community led initiatives have grown to lead the way in providing new and improved broadband for residents.

Many of the new local broadband options will provide speeds far in excess of what the national broadband providers are able to offer with Gigabit full fibre broadband available in many cases.

We aim to highlight and publicise these new breed of broadband companies so that not only can long suffering users in blackspots get a reliable broadband service, but also users who have a slow broadband connection can often upgrade to get superfast broadband in their area.

By nature, most of these new local broadband companies will focus on a small area but with increased support they will be able to expand to nearby neighbourhoods and boroughs.

We have split our local provider reviews between rural and city level broadband support. Continue reading to see if there is an initiative in your area – if we have not covered your local broadband provider we would love to hear from you.

Rural Broadband Providers

B4RN

B4RN (Broadband for the Rural North Ltd), launched in 2011 as an entirely fibre optic broadband network aiming to provide high speed broadband to domestic and business premises in rural locations across the Northwest of England. B4RN is led by community volunteers and supported by investors, local landowners and government gigabit voucher funding.

 

4G Internet

4G Internet is a specialist provider of 4G broadband that has a particular focus on helping users within rural locations obtain broadband where typically connections are unavailable or unstable due to a lack of fibre based broadband infrastructure within the area.

Their service covers some of the most rural and remote areas within the UK and provides a vital connection to the Internet for both individuals and businesses alike.

Click to read more about the 4G Internet service.

 

Local Broadband FAQs

Why is broadband unavailable in my area?

There are various reasons as to why broadband may not be available in your area. It could be a lack of infrastructure, living too far away from the nearest street cabinet or exchange, demand is too high and the fibre capacity in your postcode is simply full to capacity.

What broadband options do I have if I live in a rural location?

For rural areas in the UK there are six main broadband options:

 

  • Fibre – high speed fibre optic cables which run from the exchange to the cabinet on the street with the last section to your home completed with a copper wire
  • Standard ADSL – copper phone wire delivery
  • Mobile – broadband internet access via the 4G network using any device containing a SIM therefore no cable connection whatsoever
  • Satellite – using a satellite dish attached to your home
  • Fixed wireless – a village or community service delivered wirelessly via a transmitter 
  • Bonded – the combination of two or more lines to your home to boost the incoming signal and performance
Will rural broadband coverage get better in the future?

If poor broadband connection and poor broadband speeds are a headache for your area then the Rural Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme may be able to help. Funding towards the installation of gigabit capable broadband for both businesses and residents in the hardest to reach places could be something your area is eligible for.  

If there is no project or current plans to run a broadband project in your area then alongside your local community this could be something you could lobby towards, thus ensuring a better broadband service in future.

What speeds could I expect from my broadband in a rural area?

Broadband speeds in rural areas are considerably lower than that of urban areas, it really comes down to how far you live away from the telephone exchange, the further the signal has to travel the weaker the signal becomes. The problem is compounded by slower, older technology. Standard ADSL broadband can deliver average speeds of 10/11MBps but in more remote locations speeds can be a lot lower.

The government and BTs Universal Service obligation (USO) means that everyone in the UK has the right to have download speed of 10Mbps.

There are other options for faster broadband speeds rather than waiting for ADSL and Fibre to improve in your area including mobile 4G/5G and satellite broadband or starting up a community funded project to add the necessary infrastructure required for superfast broadband speeds.

Can I get a government broadband grant to improve my rural broadband service?
Communities seeking to raise funds for a broadband infrastructure can contact their local body in terms of grant funds or loan guarantees. In England and Wales parish councils can apply for long term low interest rate loans in order to invest or improve their broadband infrastructure. In March 2018 the government launched the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme whereby small to medium size businesses could apply for a voucher worth up to £2500 and residents can claim a voucher up to £500 as part of a bigger group project.
What about Gigabit broadband in cities?
Gigabit broadband offers speeds of up to 1Gbps which is the equivalent of 1000Mbps! The fibre provided by the likes of BT and Sky uses Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC) technology using regular telephone lines however Gigabit providers use an entirely different fibre technology – Fibre To The Home (FTTH) or Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) with fibre lines connecting directly to the home or premises. In the near future we are likely to see Gigabit broadband being offered more widely to rural communities rather than just towns and cities.
What are the costs for rural or city broadband?
Comparatively speaking the costs for broadband access tend to be lower in urban areas. Getting Fibre To The Home (FTTH) or Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) can be very expensive if going alone but drumming up community interest into partnering with the likes of B4RN and Gigaclear could massively help with costs.
How can rural areas benefit from the next era of connectivity with 5G?
Local councils, parish councils must make fibre a priority. By increasing the accessibility to fibre there are huge benefits to be made both socially and economically, in terms of more personal communication and business growth respectively.