FED-UP FATHER WHO BUILT HIS OWN SUPERFAST BROADBAND
A FATHER fed up with slow internet in his rural home has built his own superfast broadband network – and connected the rest of the village to it.
Rob Anderson was frustrated with sluggish speeds after moving to tiny Iken in Suffolk in 2014, so he decided to see if he could set up his own network.
The IT expert discovered the neighbouring hamlet of Snape received good wi-fi through underground cables.
So with permission, the 47-year-old, who works as a chief technical officer for a financial services firm, installed a connection to Snape’s fibre broadband cables and then got the two pubs there to beam the wi-fi to Iken.
Now 29 of the 40 houses in the village have signed up to the broadband, which has seen speeds go from 0.25 megabits per second (Mbps) to 25Mbps. Each property has a wi-fi transmitter fitted to their roof, which Mr Anderson charges £90 to install. Internet packages for the service, called Bootstrap Broadband, cost £25 to £45. And unlike with big broadband companies, users can cancel their package at any time.
Villagers say it is quicker and cheaper than what was being provided by the big firms. Mr Anderson, a married father of one, said: ‘When we moved in, the broadband was awful, it made it very difficult to work from home. Now the internet is fast and people can download, everything works great.’
But he is now moving and has put his £575,000 house, called Boot Cottage, on the market. He is hoping to find a firm to take over Bootstrap Broadband too.