Introduction
Great news – OpenReach have extended their Corbridge Community Fibre Broadband voucher scheme from 377 to 644 eligible houses. If 185 houses sign up and pledge their £4,500 BDUK voucher to OpenReach voucher then OpenReach will install the network to allow all 644 houses to be connected.
If we don’t reach the target of 185 houses then we may lose the opportunity to bring fibre broadband to Corbridge for many years so please ACT NOW. I have signed up and it’s a fairly straightforward process.
OpenReach confirmed that parts of Corbridge are in their commercial rollout plan and will have fibre broadband available at some time in the future – I’m waiting for OpenReach to confirm their latest plans.
When 185 properties have registered, they will schedule the installation and all 644 houses could have access to the fastest broadband. Eligible properties should have recently received a postcard and perhaps a letter from OpenReach but you can follow the link below link to find out if your house is one of the 644 eligible properties via the postcode search. One of the graphics atttached to this post lists most of the streets with eligible houses.
Links
Sign up here – https://www.openreach.com/connect-my-community
Benefits of fibre broadband – https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband
Check if I can get it already – https://www.openreach.com/broadband-network/fibre-availability
Benefits of Fibre Broadband
WORKING FROM HOME – connect to work networks reliably and experience smooth on-line meetings.
KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY – good quality video calls with friends and family.
DIGITAL SWITCH OVER – analogue phone lines over the old copper network are being switched off & fibre will give you the bandwidth you need for higher quality calls.
WATCHING TV & FILMS AND GAMING – high resolution without buffering viewing even at peak times.
MAKE YOUR HOUSE EASIER TO SELL – good broadband is higher and higher on the list of things people consider when buying a house.
SURF THE WEB – high speeds no matter how many people in the house or how many neighbours are connected.
Q & A
I’ve tried to answer a few of the likely questions below but please message me directly or comment below if you have any more questions.
– Will I have to use OpenReach as my broadband provider.
– You can’t. They provide the infrastructure but do not offfer service themselves. You’re likely to be able to use your existing provider and upgrade or switch to a new provider.
– How much will it cost?
– installation will be free but you’ll have to pay a monthly rental like you do currently. You can shop around and you may end up getting a much better service for less than you pay now.
– When will it happen?
– That depends on how quickly we get to 185 properties so please act now before we lose the opportunity.
– How can I find out if my property is eligible?
– You can visit the website and enter your postcode. Also, OpenReach will be writing to all eligible properties shortly with full details.
– What if my house is not eligible?
– That means OpenReach plan to roll out fibre broadband to your house anyway so there’s no need for the voucher. It may be that some properties not included in the voucher scheme will be able to access fibre broadband sooner if the new cable runs past your door.
– Do I need faster broadband?
– That depends on how fast your broadband is already and what you use it for. By upgrading to fibre you’ll future proof your house and maybe even make it easier to sell in the future.
– What if I don’t sign up now?
– If 185 properties sign up and the scheme goes ahead then you will be able to sign up later. However, if that doesn’t happen there is a risk you may not be able to get faster broadband for years to come.
