East of England rural provider County Broadband has received national recognition for its rollout of full fibre infrastructure and its commitment to local communities with two shortlistings for the prestigious UK Fibre Awards 2025.
The independent alternative-network (alt-net) provider was announced as a finalist in both the Best Rural Fibre Provider and Community Champion award categories which celebrate the achievements and innovation of broadband providers across the UK.
County Broadband, based in Aldham, Essex, specialises in designing, building and deploying full fibre broadband infrastructure in rural and hard-to-reach communities, typically overlooked for digital investment by large national providers.
As well as providing free connections for village halls and supporting local charitable events, the internet service provider setup the Hypercharged Foundation to provide grant funding to local good causes in areas it is building its new network.
Following the shortlisting, Adrian Warren, from County Broadband, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted in not just one, but two categories at the UK Fibre Awards. These nominations are a fantastic recognition of our team’s tireless efforts to bring world class broadband to rural communities, whilst supporting local good causes and putting people at the heart of our mission.
“Our dedicated team does amazing work every day to connect some of the hardest to reach rural homes and businesses, ensuring they are not left behind with our increased reliance on digital connections. But we believe in more than just broadband. We take great pride in supporting local people and organisations and standing up as a community champion. Both of these awards a testament to our ongoing commitment”
Full fibre broadband, also known as Fibre-To-The-Premises (FTTP) broadband, is the installation of fibre optic cables directly into premises. The infrastructure provides speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps (gigabit-capable) which is 11 times faster than the UK average.
The technology replaces existing copper-based superfast networks which are are based on old Fibre-To-The-Cabinet (FTTC) Victorian technology in which fibre cables are sent to roadside cabinets and distributed via copper cabling.
Whether you’re a resident or business, you can check if you’re covered in County Broadband’s rollout by entering your postcode at www.countybroadband.co.uk where you can also register your interest to learn more about the full fibre infrastructure and service.
