Shrewsbury-based Housing Developer Embraces Full Fibre Broadband

If you’re lucky enough to moving into a new build property, you’d expect to have all the services and mod cons to enable you to live in the 21st century. That’s why Shrewsbury property developers, SY Homes, have made a policy decision to install Openreach’s Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) across each and every one of their future developments.

Wayne Sidell, Managing Director of SY Homes explains that ultrafast broadband is an essential part of every new home that they build, “we feel that ultrafast broadband is a necessity in our customers’ day-to-day lives, seemingly almost as much as the usual services such as water and electricity.”

Wayne continues, “it’s apparent that with today’s lifestyles, people are consuming more bandwidth than ever before through applications such as Netflix, YouTube and online gaming. The installation of FTTP ensures that our homes are future-proofed for generations to come.”

“If SY Homes didn’t offer FTTP, we feel that there would be a real danger of losing sales, as it’s a definite factor in the decision process when buying a new home.”

SY Homes’ Old Coleham Court development, due to start in November 2019

“FTTP is being installed at all properties on SY Homes’ current development at Albury Place in St Michaels Street and will also be installed in our future planned developments at Old Coleham Court and The Lord Hill Hotel in Shrewsbury.”

“All of this demonstrates the ongoing commitment of SY Homes to our customers and our vision of high specification homes with market-leading designs.”

Wayne concludes that, “SY Homes considers access to ultrafast broadband, with download speeds of more than 300mbps, as a fantastic selling point. We have a great working relationship with Openreach, but they are having to work hard to change housing developers’ views on installing Fibre To The Premises. This is perhaps surprising, especially as Openreach install FTTP for free on new developments with 30+ plots.”

Notes to Editors

SY Homes contact details:

• enquiries@syhomes.co.uk
• https://www.syhomes.co.uk/

Openreach information for developers:

Find out how to register your development with Openreach at: https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fibre-for-developers/registering-your-site

Remember to talk to Openreach at least six months before you want broadband up-and-running.

July 2019 programme update

News from Connecting Shropshire on the following:

• Introduction from Cllr. Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for Organisational Transformation and Digital Infrastructure
• Contract 2 update – Openreach
• Contract 3 update – Airband
• Ofcom’s Broadband Safety Net to start in March 2020
• 93% superfast broadband coverage in the Shropshire Council area
• 5G update
• Update from Shropshire Libraries

To view, please click on the following link: http://connectingshropshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190709-Connecting-Shropshire-programme-update-July-2019-1.pdf

Business broadband grant scheme coming to an end

The Marches and Gloucestershire Broadband Grant scheme gives eligible businesses up to £25,000 to fund the capital costs of installing a superfast broadband connection. The Scheme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

If you run a business and are struggling to achieve the broadband connectivity you require, then you could be eligible for a grant.

To find out more, go to: http://connectingshropshire.co.uk/business-broadband-grant/

Registering for the grant is a simple and easy process, but all applications for the grant must be completed as soon as possible.

Case studies:

To find out how three Shropshire businesses have benefitted from the Grant Scheme, please click on the videos below:

Landscope engineering (business broadband provided by Secure Web Services):

Shropshire festivals:

Treflach farm:

Businesses can also benefit from further business support through the Marches Growth Hub and get access to free support from a Business Adviser. For more information, go to: https://www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/about-us/shropshire/

SWS Broadband update:

Shropshire company, Secure Web Services (SWS), continue to build their fixed wireless broadband network to extend coverage in the south-west of Shropshire.  In total, SWS now provides access to broadband for over 40,000 properties in Shropshire and Powys.

In March 2019, SWS Broadband was awarded Gold Accreditation by UKWISPA, the official trade body of WISPs (Wireless Internet Service Providers) in the UK, see: https://www.securewebservices.co.uk/sws-awarded-gold-accreditation/

If you’re looking for an alternative broadband service and want to check if your property is in SWS’s coverage area, please contact them on 0333 7000 227 or email: connect@swsbroadband.net

SWS case study: Asbatch Farm

This case study details the multiple benefits to a livestock farm in south Shropshire of being able to take a superfast broadband connection from Secure Web Services.

Please click the link to read more: 20181120 Asbatch Farm – CASE STUDY