Network operator X-Fibre, which is exclusively supported by UK broadband ISP Shere Internet (vertically integrated), has announced that their new self-financed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network build recently started to go live in the Surrey Hills area of England.
Just to recap. X-Fibre is a company that previously focused on building full fibre networks for other operators (i.e. acting as a civil engineering contractor), such as for F&W Networks and Box Broadband (CommunityFibre) in Cranleigh during 2021. The following year they also installed about 70km of fibre for ITS Technology in Birmingham and then a few villages for Quickline in Yorkshire.
However, last year we noted (here) that the company had pivoted to focus all their energy on their own self-financed build, which highlighted an aspiration to “surpass” 10,000 homes across parts of Surrey, West Sussex, and Hampshire in England “within the next five years” (i.e. by 2028). But at the time there wasn’t a lot of information available.
The operator’s Director, Leroy Patterson, has now informed ISPreview that they have initially been focusing their own-build efforts on the Surrey Hills area. As a result of that, their network is now said to be live for customers in Bramley, Wonersh, Shalford, Chilworth, Aldbury, Blackheath, Shere, Gomshall, Burrows cross and Abinger Hammer.
X-Fibre has also approached the Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency for support with funding to help them serve more areas in 2024, although Leroy added that the postcode checker “currently covers nearly 4,000 UPRNS [premises] ready for service.”
Residential customers in related areas can sign-up, via Shere Internet, from £49.99 per month for their one and only 1Gbps broadband package with free installation on a 24-month term (the website incorrectly describes this as “GB” for GigaBytes, rather than “Gb” for Gigabits).
Subscribers can also choose a monthly rolling plan for the same price, except you’ll then have to pay £99 for the one-off installation. But we do think they are overlooking the entry-level market (users who only need a basic service) by seemingly failing to offer a slower and cheaper tier.