ABINGDON, UK – Gigaclear has been crowned Best Rural Broadband provider for a second consecutive year by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA).
The ‘Best in Rural Broadband’ category was introduced last year (2017), to highlight the progress that has been made in recent years in supplying broadband to rural communities. The category boasted a strong shortlist including Airband Community Internet, Truespeed Communications, Voneus, Beeline Broadband and Oakford Internet Services. However, Gigaclear’s continued growth and expansion of its successful fibre to the premises (FTTP) model in rural areas – making the harder to reach, easier to reach - made it stand out from the competition.
Mike Surrey, chief executive of Gigaclear, commented: ‘It is a great honour for us to have received the title of Best Rural Broadband Provider for the second consecutive year. We are very proud of the work we have achieved over the last year as we strive to tackle the digital divide facing rural locations. During the remainder of 2018, we will continue our mission to deliver ultrafast, full fibre broadband solutions to communities who have previously been forgotten by other providers. We truly believe that every rural property in the UK should be able to enjoy a full fibre connection and our aim is to work with the government and industry bodies to ensure this is a reality by 2030.’
The 20th annual UK internet industry awards ceremony also recognised the work of Matthew Hare, Gigaclear’s founder, naming him Executive of the Year. Gigaclear’s ultrafast full fibre network currently covers over 65,000 homes and businesses in 22 counties across the South West, Midlands and South East England. The company is in a phase of substantial growth with plans to connect over 300,000 properties by 2021.