A small town in the United Kingdom has taken matters into its own hands and decided to deploy its own super fast broadband. Instead of waiting for major providers to bring them fiber internet, something they figured might never happen, the people of Arkholme in Lancashire decided to set up their own fiber internet.
The BBC reports that Arkholme residents have been digging trenches across the fields and laying fiber optic cables by themselves as part of the B4RN project. Local landowners have given B4RN free access to their fields, something big-name providers can only dream of. As a result, the BBC writes that they can deploy the network for a fraction of the cost.
B4RN describes itself as a community fiber network and aims to provide gigabit internet to homes for £30 per month. While those signing up for the service aren't required to buy B4RN shares to get connected, B4RN is in need of funding and the more people investing, the faster the network can be deployed. According to the BBC, another £1.5m is needed to complete the full 265KM network. You can also donate to the B4RN project via the B4RN website.
Arkholme on Thursday held an open day at its village hall and invited residents of the village to come and try the speeds out for themselves.
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