Enough full-fibre broadband cable to double wrap the moon or complete almost 70,000 laps of Colchester United FC’s ground is being laid to connect thousands of rural premises in north Essex to UK-leading internet speeds, specialist Hyperfast provider County Broadband based near Colchester has announced.

Almost 14,000 miles of the infrastructure, seen as vital to help kickstart post-Brexit and post-coronavirus local economies, is planned to be built in rural areas near Colchester, Braintree and Chelmsford by the end of 2020.

The work to build the future-ready networks is continuing during the lockdown as the government views broadband as an essential utility, with County Broadband following public health guidance.

Thousands of residents and business owners in over 50 villages have approved plans to have the new networks, backed by a £46million Aviva investment, built in their community after the rollout launched last year

The 13,986 miles of Hyperfast full-fibre cable is also enough to complete over 500 marathons or fly from Stansted Airport to Sydney.

The networks provide speeds of up to 1000mbps, almost 20 times faster than the UK average, and form part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “infrastructure revolution” pledge for the entire UK to have access to gigabit speeds by 2025 to catch up with the rest of the world.

Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband, said: “We remain committed to laying almost 14,000 miles – double the moon’s circumference – of Hyperfast full-fibre broadband cables to thousands of rural and remote residents and businesses in north Essex who have been blighted by years of poor rural digital connectivity.

“The current mass trial of working from home, increased reliance on the internet for streaming TV and films, and access to online educational services amid the coronavirus lockdown is shining a unique light on the urgent need to banish old Victorian copper networks that are simply unfit for modern life.

“The engines of our local economies will need restarting over the coming months and we believe full-fibre broadband will play a vital role in helping businesses and residents to respond and adapt to the ‘new normal’ – from enabling high-quality video conferences to seamless home entertainment.

“We are all facing difficult and challenging times but we would like to reassure rural communities in Essex that we are here to support them. The highest standards of safety and community sensitivity are of paramount importance as we continue ‘business as usual’.”

Currently, only 10% of UK homes and businesses can access full-fibre broadband, compared with 71% in Spain and 89% in Portugal. The government is relying on privately funded infrastructure specialists like County Broadband to build gigabit-capable speeds to all UK premises by 2025.

County Broadband is laying 13,986 miles of Hyperfast full-fibre broadband across north Essex. This is enough full-fibre cable to…

• Wrap the moon twice (double the circumference)
• Run 68,207 laps of Colchester United’s football pitch
• Fly from Stansted Airport to Sydney
• Complete 533 marathons
• Line up 1,875,690 double-decker buses

Residents and businesses can find out if they’re in a village covered in the rollout by using our postcode checker here.

County Broadband, a specialist rural full-fibre network and broadband provider, has announced 14 villages near Diss and Thetford have signed up to join its new Hyperfast full-fibre broadband network with a further 14 villages in south Norfolk on the cusp of securing the 1,000mbps connection.

Local councillors are now urging residents and business owners in the remaining 14 villages in the rollout’s first phase to rally together and support County Broadband with its proposals to build the new future-ready infrastructure to receive internet speeds 20 times faster than the UK average.

Thousands of residents and business owners in 52 villages across East Anglia have already given the green light to have the future-ready network built after last year’s rollout launch, backed by a £46million private investment by Aviva Investors. County Broadband has plans to start engaging with a further 60 villages across the region by the end of 2020.

The 14 villages that have signed up to County Broadband’s full-fibre network are: Aslacton, Bressingham, Forncett, Great Moulton, Needham, Starston, Wacton, Bunwell, Carleton Rode, Shelfanger, Tibenham, Pulham Market, Pulham St Mary and Winfarthing.

There is a minimum threshold of pre-order sign ups from residents and businesses in each village before projects are approved and the network build can begin. Schools and community halls will also receive a free connection and service.

Following the announcement, one of the first to order in the village: John Johnson-Allen, who lives in Great Moulton and is Chairman of the Parish Council, commented: “My fellow councillors and I all enthusiastically supported full-fibre broadband coming to the village. It is a fantastic opportunity which will benefit the whole community. As other local villages are also taking the wonderful opportunity which we have been given, nearby communities will also benefit from lightning fast speeds after years of average speeds of 20mbps.

“We are delighted that Great Moulton has reached the threshold and we are now looking forward to receiving the full benefits of full-fibre broadband. On a personal level, as a historian and author, the increased speeds will be a huge help in my research.”

It follows the government’s flagship pledge for the entire UK to have access to gigabit speeds by 2025 to catch up with the rest of the world and forms part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “infrastructure revolution”.

Currently, only 10% of UK homes and businesses can access full-fibre broadband, compared with 71% in Spain and 89% in Portugal. The government is relying on privately funded infrastructure specialists like County Broadband to deliver the ambitious plans proposed for gigabit-capable speeds to all premises across the UK by 2025.

The network would be built and installed later this year and be available to all premises which pre-order a service. County Broadband is providing further information to residents and businesses in the villages including project updates, local village hall meetings and Q&A sessions.

Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed over 130 villages across East Anglia to our network and are pleased to announce further rural communities in Norfolk in our roll-out plans. We call on councillors and residents to consider the benefits of our Hyperfast full-fibre network and sign up now.”

Full-fibre broadband provides lightning-fast speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps) through FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) networks in which fibre optic cables are connected directly into properties and offices – even in difficult-to-reach rural areas. This means HD films and music can be downloaded in seconds and will support the growing number of devices in the home that rely on an internet connection.

FTTP speeds are up to 20 times faster than superfast broadband which is based on a FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) infrastructure which, even though is promoted as fibre, uses slow copper cables to deliver the internet from green roadside cabinets to the home. Speeds typically halve over the first 600 metres of copper cable and continue to lose speed over distance. This restricts the speed capabilities of a broadband service to the home and connections can be unreliable at peak times.

Residents and businesses can find out if they’re in a village covered in the rollout by using our postcode checker here.

Thirteen villages in rural Essex on the cusp of securing UK-leading full-fibre broadband of up to 1,000mbps, 20 times faster than the UK average, have been revealed by specialist Hyperfast broadband provider County Broadband, based near Colchester.

Thousands of residents and business owners in 52 villages across East Anglia have already given the green light to have the future-ready network built after last year’s rollout launch, backed by a £46million private investment by Aviva Investors. County Broadband has plans to start engaging with a further 60 villages across the region by the end of 2020.

Local councillors are now urging residents and business owners in the remaining 13 villages in the rollout’s first phase to rally together and support County Broadband with its proposals. The villages are: Frating, Thorrington, Rosewood development (Myland), Langham, West Hanningfield (including part of South Hanningfield), Hempstead, Hazeleigh, Woodham Mortimer, Woodham Walter, Little Maplestead, Mundon, Purleigh and Helions Bumpstead.

There is a minimum threshold of pre-order sign ups from residents and businesses in each village before projects are approved and the network build can begin. Schools and community halls will also receive a free connection and service.

It follows the government’s flagship pledge for the entire UK to have access to gigabit speeds by 2025 to catch up with the rest of the world and forms part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “infrastructure revolution”.

Currently, only 10% of UK homes and businesses can access full-fibre broadband, compared with 71% in Spain and 89% in Portugal. The government is relying on privately funded infrastructure specialists like County Broadband to deliver the ambitious plans proposed for gigabit-capable speeds to all premises across the UK by 2025.

David Burch, Director of Policy at Essex Chambers of Commerce, said “Having access to an efficient and fast broadband network is an absolute essential for success today and we congratulate County Broadband for the work they are doing to ensure that businesses across the East of England, and especially in Essex, will be able get just that.”

The network would be installed later this year and be available to all premises. County Broadband is providing further information to residents and businesses in the villages including project updates, local village hall meetings and Q&A sessions.

Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed over 130 villages in Essex to our new network and call on the remaining rural communities to consider the benefits of our Hyperfast full-fibre network and seize the opportunity to get future-ready.”

Full-fibre broadband provides lightning-fast speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (mbps) through FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) networks in which fibre optic cables are connected directly into properties and offices – even in difficult-to-reach rural areas. This means HD films and music can be downloaded in seconds and will support the growing number of devices in the home that rely on an internet connection.

FTTP speeds are up to 20 times faster than superfast broadband which is based on a FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) infrastructure which, even though is promoted as fibre, uses slow copper cables to deliver the internet from green roadside cabinets to the home. Speeds typically halve over the first 600 metres of copper cable and continue to lose speed over distance. This restricts the speed capabilities of a broadband service to the home and connections can be unreliable at peak times.

Residents and businesses can find out if they’re in a village covered in the rollout by using our postcode checker here.

Following a £46million investment from Aviva Investors, Hyperfast broadband provider County Broadband has announced it is commencing the rollout of new full-fibre networks in South Cambridgeshire, creating new opportunities for underserviced communities and businesses.

In the latest major boost to Cambridgeshire’s growing digital economy, County Broadband initially plans to build the new gigabit-capable networks in nine villages in the south of the county with more set to be unveiled later this year.

The announcement follows an initial launch in Essex and Norfolk last year which has seen over 10,000 residents and business owners sign up to receive future-ready digital connectivity with construction well underway in 50 villages.

The rural communities would have some of the fastest internet speeds in the UK at up to 20 times the national average. It follows the government’s flagship pledge for the entire UK to have access to gigabit speeds by 2025 to catch up with the rest of the world and forms part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “infrastructure revolution”.

Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband, said: “Whilst Cambridgeshire is already ahead of some parts of the country when it comes to full-fibre broadband, there is still a long way to go as many communities and businesses still rely on an outdated, copper-based infrastructure.

“Changing consumer habits and increased data reliance from the rise of online streaming, combined with an increasing number of services from health to education moving online means that future-ready internet connectivity is now an essential. The installation of Hyperfast full-fibre networks will provide a real boost to the regions’ economy and unlock new growth opportunities for businesses and attract new investment opportunities.”

According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), the deployment of full-fibre broadband would be worth £5.38bn to the East of England economy over the next five years.

Welcoming the announcement, Councillor Ian Bates, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Economy and Environment Committee which oversees the Connecting Cambridgeshire digital connectivity programme, said: “Cambridgeshire is a leading digital county and we know how important it is to have fast, reliable Internet access wherever you are.

“It’s vital for our businesses to be able to compete, for our communities to thrive, and for people to access council services online. We welcome County Broadband’s commitment to investing in gigabit-capable services for rural villages in Cambridgeshire, which supports our ambition to extend full fibre coverage across the county to deliver better connectivity. Our Enabling Digital Delivery team is helping to ensure the rollout progresses as quickly as possible.”

Currently, 8% of UK homes and businesses can access full-fibre broadband, compared with 89% in Portugal and 99% in South Korea. The government is relying on privately funded infrastructure specialists like County Broadband to accelerate the UK’s roll-out.

The villages included in the initial rollout now have the choice of pre-ordering the new network or staying with their current providers. At least 30% of residents and businesses need to commit to pre-ordering to give the green light to start construction in each village. The networks would be installed in late 2020 and be available to all premises.

Full-fibre broadband provides lightning-fast speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps) through FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) networks in which fibre optic cables are connected directly into properties and offices – even in difficult-to-reach rural areas. This means HD films and music can be downloaded in seconds.

FTTP speeds are up to 20 times faster than superfast broadband which is based on a FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) infrastructure which, even though is promoted as fibre, uses slow copper cables to deliver the internet from green roadside cabinets to the home. Speeds typically halve every 600 metres and connections can be unreliable in peak times.

Residents and businesses can find out if they’re in a village covered in the rollout by using our postcode checker here.

County Broadband reacts to the Queen’s Speech, December 2019.

Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband, said: “We welcome the government’s renewed commitment laid out in the Queen’s Speech to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to every premises across the UK, including hard-to-reach areas.

“We are uniquely positioned to roll out future-ready Hyperfast connections to thousands of people across communities in rural East Anglia, where the need for homes and businesses to have reliable full-fibre broadband is essential to access services for education, health services and entertainment. This is even more vital as the government starts the process of leaving the EU and will be essential to help position UK plc to be able to compete on a global scale.

“We are looking forward to the release of the full strategic review due in February and working closely with residents, key stakeholders and the digital minister to help make our region one of the first to have access to full-fibre connectivity in the UK.”