Berkshire: Gigaclear connects 15,000th customer to ultra-fast network

Leading rural broadband provider Gigaclear, has announced that it has connected its 15,000^th customer to its ultra-fast broadband network. Phil Patrick, who lives in a village near Bradfield in West Berkshire, has joined one of only 3% of people in the UK with access to broadband speeds of up to 1,000Mbps (1Gbps), receiving a smart 4K TV from the company’s chief executive, Matthew Hare to mark the milestone.

Patrick, a management consultant, said: “For me, a fast and reliable connection is essential. I rely on the internet to run my business from home; I frequently upload and share documents whilst liaising with my clients over the internet, so a strong connection is key. With our previous copper line connection, our speed was limited to a maximum of 4Mbps, which would noticeably dip at peak times and massively restrict my ability to work.”

Patrick added: “My youngest son, who is currently at university, is very excited for the arrival of Gigaclear’s ultrafast broadband. Not only will he be able to carry on with his university life whilst at home, but it’s going to be much easier to keep in contact with him via Skype. He’ll also be able to stream TV programmes and download films and music; we may even see more of him!”

Full-fibre broadband noticeably speeds up everyday activities, enabling a three-hour high-definition film to be downloaded in just 53 seconds compared with nearly two hours using basic broadband. The family will also be able to download 23 songs in 1.6 seconds and upload 200 photos in less than nine seconds.

Hare said: “We have come a long way since we delivered our first full-fibre network in rural Rutland at the end of 2011. I’m very proud that in just over six years, Gigaclear has become such a significant challenger in the rural broadband market.  It’s always great to meet our customers and hear how our service is transforming their lives, so I’m really pleased to mark this occasion.”

Gigaclear’s network currently covers over 60,000 homes and businesses in 20 counties across the South West, Midlands and South East. It has more contracts in place to expand the network, connecting thousands of homes and businesses to a completely new full fibre network. Gigaclear’s customer base is rapidly growing and the company expects to reach 20,000 customers this summer.

Hare added: “We are one of the only providers delivering rural areas a totally futureproof solution with speeds of up to 1,000Mbps (1Gbps). Many rural communities have been largely forgotten by the big players so I’m looking forward to bringing our service to many more customers in the near future.”