More and more of Rathmell is now live on B4RN’s broadband internet !
The centre of the village is ever-closer to being covered, especially as we’ve now (Dec 2019) got the go-ahead for the first section of Route 4.
There’s still lots still to do to.
And as ever, we need to invest to get the rest of Rathmell and Wigglesworth connected.
And there’ll be more digging in early January 2020, and more gardens to cross and house-kits to install.
If your house or workplace is on the next bits of the network to be dug, now is a good time to get everything else ready.
You’ll want to have the orange ducting dug in from the edge of your garden/land to the wall where the cable will enter your building. You also need to have received and fitted your house kit (white wall plate, grey box and ducting) to the wall where you want the B4RN router. If you can’t do it yourself, we have volunteers on hand to help; if you’d like to volunteer, please do!
Not sure? To check if you’re on Route 1, please contact us.
If you’re a Rathmell / Wigglesworth resident or business, and you too would like fast broadband:
This is a great help to us and to B4RN… especially if your postcode happens to be eligible for one of the government’s vouchers! If you’ve filled out B4RN’s form and have any doubts or questions, or had a problem with the process, please let us know.
Summary of progress
- December 2019: Route 4 has been given the go-ahead by B4RN.
- October/November 2019: civil engineering work on the road crossing in front of the Reading Room went ahead in the autumn, and progress was made connecting Townhead properties. (There was a bit of a lull on the website though, so it doesn’t reflect everything that has happened – apologies)
- May 2019: fibre is being blown in Route 1 and to any houses with their ducting dug in and house kit installed. Splicing starts in a week or two. DCMS voucher scheme no longer looks quite as hopeful as it did, so we’re returning to community investment to fund the continuation of our project.
- April 2019: trunk route all dug in, all road crossings except one done, green cabinet installed at the Reading Room!
- March 2019: the trunk route between the existing network at Eldroth and Rathmell Reading Room (where our B4RN cabinet will be) is getting very close to completion.
- January 2019: our main trunk route reached 70% complete (5.3km dug of a total 7.4km route).
- Late 2018: dig progress had slowed slightly, but Steve Foster joined as new contractor, and things picked up considerably.
- May 2018: we met our initial investment target for B4RN, so on the 16th May, we held a dig training meeting for our own farmers / landowners. Digging started shortly afterwards.
- March 2018: investment opened for our project.
- January 2018: after we’d had cost estimates from BT and B4RN, and assessed other possible solutions, the community decided we’d go ahead with B4RN. Roger got wayleaves from landowners for the first route to connect us to LEWFA.
- August 2017: several months of discussion and planning by a smaller group of keen residents in Rathmell and Wigglesworth led our first public meeting to gauge interest in a community project to bring fast broadband to our villages… and it was very well-attended.