IQGeo’s webinar in partnership with FTTH Council Europe explored the efficient fiber planning and rollout model deployed by specialist rural broadband supplier Alncom.
John Tarleton, Sales Director at IQGeo outlines what we learned from the discussion:
In an era where digital connectivity has become an integral part of our lives, access to high-speed internet has become a necessity rather than a luxury. While urban areas often benefit from robust internet infrastructure, rural communities around the world face a significant broadband gap.
Bringing broadband to rural areas has been a longstanding issue for telecom operators. The terrain is difficult to navigate, the population is vastly dispersed and building networks in rural landscapes can be costly. For many operators, the challenge does not yield significant ROI.
Image credit: Alncom
A notable gap in internet usage between rural and urban areas has been created because of this. There are 6-9% more internet users in urban areas, despite the overall percentage of internet usage rising.
Bridging the digital divide
Overcoming the rural broadband challenge has proven difficult for many fiber operators across the nation, but UK-based altnet Alncom, have not only overcome the obstacles faced by countless altnets but also managed to successfully bridge the digital divide in rural England. As specialists in rural broadband, Alncom provides internet access to over 50,000 premises in a previously untapped market in the Northumberland region, unlocking success for customers, businesses, and communities. But how has the broadband operator achieved this?
Who is Alncom, the rural broadband experts?
Alncom, a community-focused company with over four decades of history, was founded in 1983 with the aim of simplifying IT. Alncom transformed the business into what it is today due to market movements and the opportunities presented to them over these years. Originally a computer games shop, it first changed to become a service provider offering IT services and support for business and home clients.
Image credit: Alncom
One of the more notable opportunities that transformed the future of Alncom arrived in 2005, when the internet service offering ‘dial up’ internet was developed, allowing them to expand and grow their business. Soon after, broadband internet followed, and the Alncom team grew a large customer base reselling these services.
Thanks to their rural location, Alncom quickly identified a new opportunity. The operator noticed a significant disparity in quality of internet access between towns and rural locations and sought to bridge the gap to provide internet equality to urban locations.
The rural broadband challenge
Alncom discovered that wireless connectivity using radio signals to supply broadband access is not only a flexible and adaptable method for delivering rapid internet to extremely rural locations, but also highly cost effective and had the potential to bridge the digital divide. The team at Alncom worked to create a wireless internet service provider (WISP) offering to serve their local community. As it stands, Alncom currently has the largest wireless internet footprint in the North East of England.
Image credit: Alncom
This initial offering from Alncom brought the benefits of internet access to many unserved locations that were previously out of reach, making headway with the rural broadband challenge. But this was just the beginning. To achieve true broadband equality, the fiber broadband operator needed to bring high-speed internet to those challenging rural areas.
Alncom took issue with the imbalance of internet speeds that large internet companies supplied to rural communities. This encouraged Alncom to push forward and identify a solution to drive successful results.
How IQGeo helped Alncom on its journey
To support their fiber deployment efforts, Alncom sought the expertise of IQGeo. Working in partnership we used our industry knowledge and the IQGeo fiber network management software to effectively map areas and design grid information, providing a visual overview of the area and acting as a guide to determine the optimal placement, position, and scale elements for their network infrastructure.
Image credit: Alncom
Image credit: Alncom
Special considerations had to be taken into account when completing the task, such as ensuring networks were not being built too close to bridges, historical buildings, national parks and narrow roads. By working in close collaboration, we were able to ensure it took place safely, not affecting or disrupting any crucial sites.
IQGeo’s fiber network management software also enables Alncom to monitor the build process, thus helping the teams to understand how their systems worked and what their limitations were.
The partnership with IQGeo proved to be one of Alncom’s biggest successes. Alncom overcame an immense challenge of rolling out fiber broadband to over 18 rural hamlets, spanning over 30km, and succeeded.
By joining forces with IQGeo, Alncom has not only brought high-speed internet to previously unserved locations and expanded their customer base, but also increased their revenue and paved the way for a brighter future where no one is left behind in the digital age. It’s truly been a win-win situation.
To learn more about how Alncom is conquering the rural broadband challenge and unlocking success for customers, communities, and businesses, watch the on-demand webinar recording.
Watch webinar >>>
Image credit: Alncom
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