Bringing broadband to rural South Ormsby Estate

OnLincolnshire has been working with an historic estate in Lincolnshire to trial new broadband technology that could be used to connect thousands of homes in rural areas to fast internet.
The South Ormsby estate.The South Ormsby estate.
The South Ormsby estate.

For the first time, The South Ormsby Estate, in the middle of the Lincolnshire Wolds, now has access to 40mbps broadband, thanks to the new broadband technology. The OnLincolnshire project has been working with the South Ormsby Estate to trial the technology.

The South Ormsby Estate is a 3,000 acre country estate in the Lincolnshire Wolds, which includes an historic hall that is being restored and redeveloped to make it into a hub for rural businesses. Until now, the estate has had extremely limited internet connectivity and, although it is hoped that fibre broadband can be brought to the area in 2019, a more immediate solution was required.

Now, OnLincolnshire has enabled the estate to take part in a trial of new 4G linking broadband technology. This technology can bring broadband speeds into an area which previously had no internet connectivity. If the trial proves successful, this technology could be used across other areas of Lincolnshire which are still waiting for fibre broadband to be installed, giving them access to a fast service in the interim period.

Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Member for IT at Lincolnshire County Council, says he’s proud of what the OnLincolnshire team has achieved.

He said: “We want to make sure that Lincolnshire doesn’t get left behind when it comes to digital technology. Around 93 per cent of Lincolnshire now has access to superfast speeds, and we are working to extend that to 97 per cent by the end of 2019. Getting the historic South Ormsby Estate connected is a step toward that.

“South Ormsby is in one of the most rural parts of the county, and so getting a fast service there is a real achievement. Eventually, the estate will have fibre broadband, and that will make the internet there even faster, but until then, this should make a massive difference - and hopefully, we can use this same technology to get more areas connected before fibre can be rolled out further.”

The estate’s community and business manager, Joe Blissett, says that fast internet is vital for its redevelopment.

He said: “Every business these days needs to have fast internet access, and so this is central to our plans to make South Ormsby Estate into a home for thriving local businesses.

“Sadly, large parts of the countryside are being left behind because of poor internet connectivity, and although efforts are being made to connect more of Lincolnshire to superfast broadband, it can’t come soon enough. While we look forward to having fibre broadband across the estate, we’re really impressed by the interim solution the team at OnLincolnshire have helped us to set up. By taking part in this trial, we can start the regeneration of this area now.

“If it all goes well, this technology could be used to give everyone else in rural areas the internet they need for the 21st century - and so far, it’s going very well indeed.”