Rural broadband specialist Quickline has revealed its full 2023 roll-out plan as its new in-house build team gets to work.
The East Yorkshire firm is delivering on major government contracts to transform internet access in scores of hard-to-reach communities for tens of thousands of users. From the North Yorkshire Moors to the Lincolnshire Wolds and beyond, the high growth regional operator, headquartered in Willerby, will take to areas neglected by major broadband providers, combining its fixed wireless and full broadband hybrid network.
After a strong 2022 - the first full year following a huge capital injection after being bought out by a Canadian investment house - 2023 will see a step change.
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Lee Allison, chief operating officer at Quickline, said: “Building on the momentum from last year, 2023 is going to be even bigger and better for Quickline and the communities we serve.
“Rural communities have been crying out for fast, reliable broadband for far too long. Our mission is to provide that and to close the digital divide between urban and rural areas.”
Many of the rural communities in the rollout plan have previously suffered with broadband speeds as low as 30 Mbps. Full fibre packages with Quickline start at 100 Mbps, with speeds of up to 1 Gbps also available.
The company started to recruit for its infrastructure team late last year, investing in its capacity and flexibility. It comprises of a variety of roles from civils operatives and cablers to splicers.
Mr Allison said: “This is a significant investment by Quickline, which reflects our commitment to the rollout of full fibre to some of the most remote communities – giving them the digital life they deserve.
“We’re also proud to be supporting and investing in the local economy through the creation of these roles, which offer great development opportunities within the Quickline business.”
The full 2023 fibre roll-out plan will reach more than 55,000 homes and businesses this year.
It comes as Hull-based full fibre network operator MS3 Networks has extended its long-term partnership with fellow city firm Open Fibre. It will allow the latter to offer its broadband connectivity to homes and businesses across the entire MS3 network, which is on a rapid expansion drive to take affordable, gigabit-speed internet to towns and cities in the region and beyond. It was also heavily invested in recently.
MS3 expects to see 500,000 premises connected in the next four years, with the pair having already worked together for five-and-a-half years.
The network’s initial expansion in Hull began in January last year and was followed with a launch into North Lincolnshire with a rollout underway that will service 35,000 premises in Scunthorpe and 95,000 across Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
