Gigaclear, the renowned rural broadband services provider, has officially launched its Community Hub Scheme, which aims to provide free broadband to critical community services. 137 of Gigaclear’s Community Hubs are already connected to its ultrafast network, but all areas in which Gigaclear is building are encouraged to apply for the initiative.
Ultrafast, full-fibre network
The company, which has continued to expand its ultrafast, full-fibre network to reach more people across rural Britain throughout 2020, has been providing one free connection in each of its community projects, with many using it to great effect during lockdown.
Services that particularly benefit local people, such as community halls, libraries, shops and schools, tend to be those chosen to receive the connection. The latest service to benefit is Chadlington Memorial Hall in Oxfordshire.
Community Hub Scheme
As part of its Community Hub Scheme, Gigaclear was kind enough to provide the hall with WiFi for free"
Susan Cox, Chairman, Chadlington Memorial Hall Trustees, commented “When Chadlington Primary School was set to re-open in September, government guidelines meant that it would be hard-pressed to accommodate all pupils onsite while following the special measures that needed to be implemented to safeguard against the spread of COVID-19.”
Susan adds, “The school wanted to hire the hall as an overflow teaching space, but the provision of WiFi, which the hall lacked at the time, was something that first needed to be addressed. Fortunately, as part of its Community Hub Scheme, Gigaclear was kind enough to provide the hall with WiFi for free. This has been a welcome measure for Chadlington Primary School and, once the pandemic eases, will be a great help in returning the hall to full use by the local community.”
Free WiFi connectivity to underserved communities
Gareth Williams, the Chief Executive Officer at Gigaclear, commented “We are passionate about digital inclusion and our mission is to connect the most underserved communities that are so often underserviced by the industry’s biggest players when it comes to broadband so that no one is left behind. As part of that commitment, we’ve launched a Community Hub Scheme to provide critical community services with free, 12-month, 900Mbps internet connections.”
Gareth adds, “We know how transformative it can be to connect community hotspots to ultrafast full-fibre broadband, whether it’s the village hall, local pub, school, community centre, shop, library or sports centre. Our scheme is intent on enabling communities to do more and enjoy the benefits that come with world-renowned connectivity, whether that is helping schools to stay open, enabling pubs to operate safely with online ordering, or something else, the possibilities are endless.”