Good news comes to Hampshire, as the county council chose to trial satellite broadband technology from Bentley Walker within the area where, as the ISP’s development manager suggested, fibre simply wouldn’t be rolled out any time soon.
Isolated areas have been suffering broadband woes for a very long time – most of the time a frustrating 2Mbps was the best that rural residents and businesses could get.
This is where Bentley Walker comes in. Based on the Tooway system, which can supply speeds of up to 18Mbps, the satellite broadband provider has been tasked with providing the hardware, installation, products and support for the trial within Hampshire County.
The fact that the satellite broadband provider is actually based on Hampshire’s Hayling Island also probably helps.
Neil Robinson, Business Development Manager of Bentley Walker Ltd, said:
“As councils and internet providers have pushed forward to build the UK’s Superfast broadband network, it has become clear that fibre optic services are not financially or physically viable for some of the more rural areas.”
“We are honoured to be working alongside our local council to help find a solution suitable for everyone. We are lucky to have a forward-thinking council in Hampshire who have identified the realistic issues with fibre optic rollout and kept an open mind towards services like Tooway and Satellite Broadband.”
“Many councils across the UK have been struggling to distribute grants and assess the broadband options available to them. We hope this trial will not only help Hampshire County Council get all residents online with adequate speeds by 2015, but set an example for the rest of the country to follow suit.”
Residents of rural Hampshire can apply for a grant of £300 to set up satellite broadband services. Find out if your household is eligible by emailing: broadband@hants.gov.uk.
