Alternative network operator and ISP Quickline, which is deploying gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) and 5G powered fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband network across rural and semi-rural parts of England (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), has just named three new villages in Lincolnshire that have been reached by their fibre optic cables.
The latest additions include Ancaster, Wilsford and Colsterworth, situated close to Grantham. The new fibre across this area is understood to have reached “more than” 1,700 premises (homes and businesses). Customers will typically pay from £14.50 per month for 200Mbps symmetric speeds (£29 after 12 months) on a 24-month term with free installation, which goes up to £24.50 for their top 900Mbps tier (£49 after 12 months).
Quickline is currently being supported by funding of c.£500m from Northleaf Capital Partners, as well as c.£296.4m of public subsidy from three Project Gigabit contracts (here, here and here), some £225m in term loans and debt guarantees from the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) and a £25m term loan from NatWest.
The provider’s original ambition was to cover around 500,000 premises in rural and semi-rural areas across Northern England and beyond with “ultrafast broadband” – via both FTTP and FWA technologies – “by 2025” (here). Some 200,000 of those rural premises were due to be tackled by their wireless network, with the rest coming from FTTP.
However, since then they’ve secured several state-aid funded Project Gigabit contracts, which will bring full fibre broadband with public funding to almost 170,000 premises in mostly rural areas, which rises to 360,000 when you include the provider’s complementary commercial build.