We’re rolling out a market-leading hybrid network, combining full fibre and fixed wireless broadband to deliver “broadband for the better” to some of the country’s most remote places.

The 2,000 communities we’ve provided a service to over the past year include:

• Levisham, in the North York Moors National Park, with fewer than 100 residents.
• Hainton, located between Louth and Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, clustered around St Mary’s Church, dating back to the 11th Century.
• The former mining village of Kinsley, near Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

By providing residents and businesses in communities like this with fast and reliable broadband, we’re leading the way in tackling the disparity in internet access that leaves many countryside areas in the internet slow lane.

The imbalance between urban and rural broadband was highlighted in recent research conducted by data group Point Topic with the Financial Times.

It found that, while almost five million UK homes have more than three choices of ultrafast fibre broadband, 10 million households, predominantly in rural areas, do not have an option that meets the need for lightning-fast, reliable connections fit for the 21st Century.

Sean Royce, our CEO, said: “This report highlights just how vital the work we’re doing at Quickline is. People shouldn’t be disadvantaged by choosing to live in countryside areas and deserve to have the same internet experience as those living in large towns and cities.

“Fast and reliable internet access has never been so important. We know that improved internet access unlocks a better quality of life for everyone. It supports skills, jobs, education and entertainment.

“Fast broadband means you can stream your favourite TV shows and films, enjoy online gaming, and video call your loved ones without disruption.

“That’s why we’re passionate about bringing fast and reliable broadband to left-behind communities, giving them the digital life they deserve.”

The inequality in broadband services means many rural parts of the country have no access to fast internet, severely impacting communities, people and businesses in these areas.

Our fast and reliable broadband means buffering is a thing of the past in communities the company serves. Users can stream films and TV without fear of the big reveal being ruined by the connection dropping out. Gamers can play online with friends and internet issues won’t spoil family video calls.

We’ve transformed the broadband experience for Ian Hall of GB Trading Group, a business based in the isolated village of Wrangle, near Boston in south Lincolnshire.

Ian said: “Before joining Quickline, we found other companies had no interest in providing high-speed broadband to rural areas like ours. We were getting less than 1 Mbps download speed with our previous provider.

“With Quickline, we’re now getting download speeds of over 50 Mbps. We now have an enterprise-level email server, our digital equipment is on a really good, strong connection, and we’ve invested in a new telephony system which enables us to make and receive 4K video calls.

“Quickline is changing the perception of rural broadband. With Quickline, you can have fast, reliable broadband and you don’t have to live in a city or town to get it.”

During the pandemic, James and Sarah Dale moved to Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales. James is a Managing Director of a fresh produce company and Sarah is Head of Innovation for a chocolate company.

James said: “Before switching to Quickline, it was so difficult to work from home. We had an inconsistent 2 Mbps connection that wasn’t enough to sustain one video call. We had to drive to our parents in Northallerton for important meetings to ensure connectivity.

“All our frustrations went away in the flick of a switch when we joined Quickline. From 2 Mbps download capability, we immediately saw speeds of 90-100 Mbps. “We’ve gone from total despair to moving into the 21st Century.” We’ve built a network of hundreds of wireless masts across North and West Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to reach under-served communities.

Some of our fibre optic-powered masts stand over 43m (141ft) in height and beam the Internet directly to homes and businesses in remote locations.

In addition, our technology is on some of the region’s most recognisable landmarks, including Lincoln Cathedral and the Emley Moor transmitter in West Yorkshire, which is over 310m (1,000ft) tall.

This extensive infrastructure means we can provide countryside communities with 5G fixed wireless broadband offering speeds of up to 200 Mbps with those speeds set to increase to a gigabit in the near future. We also offer full fibre broadband directly to customers’ premises in many areas across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.