GigaClear

Hallmark Editorial 2023 (excerpt). Everyone’s complaining about the roads at the moment. We have 3 issues affecting us. The first is potholes, a consequence of years of not maintaining the roads properly.

The second is the fibre broadband company GigaClear who are laying fibre optic cable to bring faster broadband connections to LG & LR. These cables are tiny and can often be fitted into existing underground ducts, but sometimes they do have to dig make new cableways. Below is an article by GigaClear.

GigaClear. May 2023

Did you know that engineering work taking place in Lacey Green and Loosley Row will see residents and businesses have access to ultra-fast full fibre broadband? Once completed, both the villages will join Gigaclear’s growing fibre network that currently spans 23 counties.

But why should this matter to you? Well, for many households, having access to fast and reliable broadband will enable them to work from home, and stream their entertainment online. They will also and enjoy the money-saving benefits and convenience that come with many smart household gadgets these days.

Not only this, but according to the Government, boosting your broadband speed could increase the value of your home by £3,500*.

Still interested?

The full fibre network that is being extended to the village and surrounding area will be fed from Naphill, and before that Great Kingshill and Heath End, daisy-chaining its way through rural Buckinghamshire.

So, who is Gigaclear? Gigaclear  is the UK’s largest rural alternative network provider delivering full fibre broadband to hard-to-reach rural communities that might otherwise not have the opportunity to benefit from ultra fast speeds.

Once Gigaclear has completed its work, Lacey Green and Loosley Row will join more than 650 other rural communities that are connected to its network. That’s more than 400,000 properties stretching from Devon in the west to Essex in the east and up into Derbyshire.

Gigaclear has been working closely with Lacey Green Parish Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and the highways authority to ensure that any disruption during the build phase is kept to a minimum. The plan is for all the work to be completed by the end of the year.

Rezia Khan, Gigaclear’s Community Engagement Manager for the parish, said: “Of course, there will inevitably be some short-term inconvenience caused during the engineering work. However, we’ve already engaged locally with an event held in September and we continue to listen. The important thing now is to keep residents informed and updated on how we are progressing.”

The good news is that Gigaclear has identified that around 70% of the cable laying can be carried out using existing infrastructure in the village, such as pole and underground ducts owned by Openreach. This is less intrusive and will mean the work can be carried out more quickly.

Rezia said she planned to stage a community event in the village hall in June. This will give residents an opportunity to find out more about Gigaclear, and how the build is coming along.

The fibre network will come into the village along Main Road from Naphill and will extend to Lacey Green, Loosley Row along Lower Road to the junction with Woodbank and incorporating Speen. In total, more than 2,400 homes and businesses in Naphill, Lacey Green and Loosley Row are due to be connected.

Which, in an ever-changing world where even the BBC is considering a stream-only future**, will be welcomed by many.

Indeed, it’s not just the BBC planning to make this fully digital transition in the future. BT has decided to switch off its old copper PSTN landline phone network by the end of 2025***, which would spell the end for the traditional analogue landline telephones.

This may come as a surprise to those who still have a landline telephone! However, with full fibre broadband, not only will people be able to enjoy the convenience of having their broadband and landline telephone from the same provider but they’Il be able to keep their old telephone number. And, with phone plan prices starting from as little as £3 a month, there’s every chance they'll be making a significant saving on the current price they are paying!

* Broadband speed boost sees home values jump by £3,500 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

** https://rts.org.uk/article/leading-uk-digital-speech-bbc-director-general-tim-davie

*** Upgrading landlines to digital technology - what you need to know - Ofcom