Broadband 4 Rural North

Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN, read as "BARN") is a community-led project to bring high-speed broadband Internet connectivity to domestic FTTH and business properties in rural Lancashire, Cumbria, Allen Valleys (North Pennines), Cheshire, Norfolk & Suffolk in England. It functions as an Internet service provider.

The first homes, in Quernmore, were connected in 2012. Others, in Arkholme-with-Cawood, were next.

Tests on the network quoted in February 2013 showed an download speed of over 917Mbit/s and upload speed of 530Mbit/s. UK regulator Ofcom cited a national average upload speed of 12.7Mbit/s at the time.

Broadband for the Rural North Limited was registered as a Community Benefit Society within the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 (IPS) on 15 August 2011, and is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (Registration number 31352R). It was formed to raise funds from the sale of shares to own and operate the network. However, much of the labour to dig trenches was supplied by local volunteers, who were rewarded with the chance to get a connection for their families or businesses. Some work is also rewarded in shares. Farmers and other landowners allowed free access for duct and the fibre within to cross their land. The company is headquartered in Lancaster and its chief executive is Michael Lee.

Regardless of line distance and location, properties are offered a true 1Gbit/s (i.e. 1,000 Mbit/s Download and Upload) Point-To-Point Symmetric Fibre-To-The-Home services for every subscriber.

Significant expansion is still underway in early 2015; B4RN services are already available in:

* Abbeystead,
* Arkholme,
* Aughton,
* Borwick,
* Capernwray,
* Littledale,
* Claughton,
* Docker,
* Dolphinholme,
* Gressingham,
* Halton (eastern edge),
* Newton,
* Priest Hutton,
* Quernmore,
* Roeburndale,
* Tatham,
* Wennington,
* Whittington,
* Wray, and
* Wrayton.

Work is now approaching:

* Melling,
* The Yealands,
* Silverdale,
* Halton,
* Storth,
* Clapham,
* Caton (peripheries), and
* Hornby.

The latter three locations otherwise have BT exchanges.

Geographical spread

The first phase of B4RN's operation covered the parishes of:

* Arkholme-with-Cawood,
*Caton-with-Littledale (southern part),
* Melling-with-Wrayton,
*Over Wyresdale, Quernmore,
*Roeburndale,
*Tatham,
* Wennington, and
* Wray.

The second phase covered the parishes of:

* Borwick,
*Burrow-with-Burrow,
*Cantsfield,
* Claughton,
*Gressingham,
*Hornby-with-Farleton,
* Ireby,
* Leck,
*Nether Kellet,
*Over Kellet,
* Priest Hutton,
* Tunstall, and
*Whittington.

The third phase will cover the parishes of:

* Caton-with-Littledale (northern part),
* Silverdale,
*Yealand Conyers, and
* Yealand Redmayne.

It is supported by the subproject B4YS (B4RN 4 Yealand, Silverdale & Storth). Clapham Hyperfast is another local project bringing B4RN to Clapham, Keasden, Newby and Mewith.

As of April 2015, Borwick, Priest Hutton, Gressingham, Eskrigge, Aughton, and Halton are live. Shortly to come live will be Whittington. The latest village to go live was Borwick, and when they held an open day, 115 devices logged on to the network and were updating and streaming video at the same time. The top speeds recorded on Wi-Fi were 450 Mbit/s (using an Apple AirPort Extreme router) and 935Mbit/s symmetrical (using Ethernet).

Connection speeds of over 900Mbit/s have been achieved.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://b4rn.org.uk/

Internet service providers of the United Kingdom
2011 establishments in England