Voneus Bring Wireless Broadband to Gloucestershire Villages

UK ISP Voneus has announced that their “superfast broadband” (speeds of 30-50Mbps) capable Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) network has been extended to cover premises both in and around two rural Gloucestershire “villages” of Sharpness and Newton, which is a big improvement on the c.5Mbps that some were previously restricted to.

In fairness we should point out that neither village is particularly remote as they both sit immediately next to the eighth largest English port in the South West. Some of the area can in fact already access superfast broadband speeds via Openreach’s Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) network, although there are certainly a few slowspots to be found.

In this case it appears as if Voneus were able to extend their coverage following a partnership with Sharpness-based logistics firm, Howard Tenens, which had been struggling with a poor connection and weak mobile coverage. The firm required a faster fixed line connection and as part of that they also allowed the ISP to install some wireless antennas on top of their building (this is 32 metres high).

Now live, this network delivers speeds of 30Mbps+ to customers in the area, including those located in remote locations on the other side of the River Severn and various local farms.

Steve Leighton, CEO of Voneus, said:

“It’s brilliant to once again be able to combine our creative engineering with local community spirit to connect another deserving rural community to Superfast speeds, especially at a time when decent broadband has been so critical to our daily lives.

Howard Tenens together with a number of local farmers have been exceptionally keen to help out, not just because they were frustrated with their own network speeds, but because they recognise the economic and social benefits that decent broadband delivers to remote – often forgotten – communities.”

Voneus noted that they have deployed a new type of antennae for this project (sadly they haven’t given any details), which they say is capable of providing superfast speeds to more premises than previously possible. In addition, by installing its equipment on farms that are strategically placed across the area, Voneus now has the potential to reach even more villages and small towns in the surrounding area (assuming local demand can be confirmed).

Customers typically pay from £34.99 per month (24 month term) to access their unlimited service, which includes a wireless router and installation. A 12 month option is also available but it’ll set you back an additional £4 per month.

Last year the ISP secured a huge new investment of £30m to help their fixed wireless and future “full fibre” network target 900,000 UK premises (here). As such we can probably expect to see a lot more developments from them in the near future.