Chester MP Chris Matheson was amongst the first few people to dig trenches in Puddington for the area’s new community broadband initiative, which launched last week (Saturday 3rd March 2018).
Chris said: “In a world where people often say that technology has altered our sense of community, this is a great example of where the need for internet technology is bringing a community together.”
Broadband for the Rural North Ltd or ‘B4RN’ was launched in December 2011 by a local volunteer group led by industry expert Barry Forde.
It is a community benefit company that allows local people in rural areas to invest in, build and then use their own high-speed broadband network.
Local resident Dot Delaney explained: “We have been fed up of waiting for BT to get their act together, it was never profitable for them to deliver super-fast broadband to our village so we have brought together farmers, residents and businesses and built our own network – and it is going to be faster than BT’s too.”
Chris added: “This is a giant leap forward for people living in rural Cheshire and it can’t stop in Puddington.
“I will be contacting rural communities who have complained to me in the past about their internet access to put them in touch with the people leading this brilliant scheme.”
Anyone who is interested can contact him by emailing chris@chrismatheson.co.uk or by calling 01244 343 214 to find out more.
