RURAL UK ISP ALNCOM TARGET 25,000 PREMISES FOR FTTP BROADBAND

Leading rural broadband experts Alncom announce growth plans to support digital transformation in rural communities, with a month of milestones for the telecommunications company.

The Alnwick, Northumberland based company has an extensive fixed wireless access (FWA) network in Northumberland with over 1,000 connected customers. In addition Alncom have announced ambitious plans to connect a further 25,000 rural premises to full fibre to meet the demand for broadband services across the region. To support this rapid growth, and bring digital services to even more people, Alncom is investing in a 10gig capable fibre network that will provide hyperfast broadband to some of the hardest to reach properties in Northumberland, County Durham and the Scottish Borders.

The full fibre rollout has already passed over 7,000 premises so far and the 1,000th fibre customer recently went live in the remote hamlet of Biddlestone, which is 10Km from the closest town of Rothbury in Northumberland.

Biddlestone, Northumberland based rural resident Tony Dixon said: “We’ve suffered from poor, unreliable broadband for years and a number of companies have raised our hopes with false promises of a fibre connection. Alncom has actually done it and the transformation is unbelievable.”

As part of its contribution to digital inclusion, Alncom is also expanding network access to community premises by installing free fibre broadband into village halls. Longframlington Village Hall in Northumberland became the 20th ‘Alncom Digital Hub’ this month and Alncom has plans to grow the scheme and further support digital transformation in rural communities by offering free training and IT events in these community hubs.

Company growth has created new job opportunities and Alncom is recruiting locally for its in-house build teams, providing specialist training at its base in Alnwick. This month the 50th full-time staff member was employed with further job roles being advertised in the future.

Three new directors have also been appointed to strengthen the management team:

Mike Surrey (MD of Railsite telecom) - Mike started his career as a Chartered Accountant before joining the global telecoms company Marconi in 1992. He has decades of telecoms experience of building and operating networks for both telcos and major infrastructure projects. Mike has extensive knowledge of the Fibre to the Home industry from working with the UK fibre pioneers such as Gigaclear and Community Fibre. He represents Railsite Telecom, a strategic Investor in Alncom and a builder of rural mobile infrastructure focused on Rail corridors.

Rory Wilson (CEO of Northumberland Estates) - A Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and a Graduate in Land Economy from the University of Aberdeen. Rory has been with the Estate since 1990 and has been responsible for the overall business since 1994 guiding its growth and diversification over the last 25 years. Rory has extensive knowledge of the North East business landscape and brings wide-ranging experience in business growth, operational efficiency and performance management.

Dr Andrew Parry (MD of Project Advisors International) - A Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Andrew is a leading international expert in planning and delay analysis of construction projects. He has significant commercial management, project management, project controls and project delivery experience on some of the largest projects in the world. Andrew brings planning, project and commercial management experience to the delivery of broadband infrastructure.

Alncom MD Stephen Pinchen said: “The need for reliable, high-speed broadband has never been more important. It is incredibly satisfying to see our plans coming to fruition and witness the positive impact this has had on our rural communities.”

The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP Secretary of State for International Trade said; “Alncom is a very important business in the area, providing job opportunities and improving broadband provision for many residents who may have had to wait a long period of time to be connected. I am so grateful for all the work they are putting into the infrastructure to make the hard to reach areas included.”