Box Broadband: Connecting Communities

What is full fibre?

Whereas conventional broadband connections use copper cables to transmit data through pulses of electricity, fibre optic technology transmits through pulses of lasers, literally travelling at the speed of light, resistance free, vastly increasing the speed of transmission and ultimately the speed of your connection. Whilst some providers may offer what’s known as FTTC (fibre to the cabinet), the connection between the roadside cabinet in your house still relies on copper cabling, slowing the connection right down. Full fibre brings fibreoptic technology right to your property (FTTP), at speeds of up to 1Gb/s compared to just 0-80Mb/s with copper.

In the age of households having multiple users on multiple devices accessing the internet, non-fibre connections increasingly struggle to maintain strong connection and speeds – however, for the Bexhill-On-Sea community this will soon be a dilemma of the past. From their beginning, providing fibre connectivity to rural communities in Surrey, Box Broadband have entered East Sussex at full speed with their first large development in Bexhill. Backed by Community Fibre, London’s leading full fibre broadband service provider and the UK’s biggest Alt Net, work has already begun connecting the community in Pebsham, with the Pebsham Community Hub having been officially connected with free wifi for the community to use.

By providing full fibre optic infrastructure to the customer premise, Box are able to offer up to 1Gb/s symmetrical speeds. Conventional copper based broadband connections can drop as low as 10% of the network’s top bandwidth, however the new fibre optic technology used by Box Broadband guarantees these speeds 90% of the time – whilst for business customers, they are able to provide up to 10Gb/s – speeds that will safeguard your businesses digital infrastructure capabilities for years to come.
Founder and CEO Graham Sargood realised that, in larger providers pursuits of profits, many smaller or rural communities were missing out on high-speed fibre connectivity and so the Box Broadband mission was incorporated. Having survived the Covid-19 pandemic and firmly establishing themselves in Surrey, funding was secured in the second half of 2021 to connect 250,000 homes south of the M25.

Community is at the heart of Box Broadbands values, and its focus is on connecting those communities that have been left out. With their investment from Community Fibre, Box Broadband selected Bexhill as its first large build location in Sussex.

Advantages of having a fibre network:

The advantages of fibre connectivity are more far-reaching than just quick internet speeds. In today’s society, a strong internet connection is essential for businesses, whether that’s at business venues or for employees working from home. Having this infrastructure in place is essential for retaining businesses in the area and attracting new businesses.  With only 30.9% coverage of FTTP in England , this development will make Bexhill stand out as a key location for businesses, and workers to locate.

“Our significant investment in new infrastructure will allow the area to end its digital poverty and have connectivity that will be the envy of others, attract further business investment and retain young local talent, something we intend to leverage as we grow as a service provider and employer in the community.”
Steve Garrood, Commercial Director – Box Broadband

Improved home and business infrastructure will lead to more employment opportunities for residents as business expand or relocate to the area, whilst, as Steve Garrood comments, young talent are more likely to remain in the area, reducing the loss of talent to larger areas such as London or Brighton.

There is also a strong case for future proofing homes and businesses. Many premises and homes were built prior to the digital revolution and are sillstill reliant on old infrastructure. Now, the average Briton has access to 9 connected devices, and this is increased in business settings. Through fibre technology, Box Broadband can offer businesses up to 10Gb/s symmetrical speeds, which will be enough to efficiently manage internet requirements for several years to come.
Box Broadband and the Community

Box Broadband’s commitment to the community doesn’t end with the customers they provide. Box are committed to employing local people to meet their staffing needs, from customer service to engineers. It is hoped this fistfirst stage of expansion into East Sussex will create up to 20 jobs in Bexhill and neighbouring communities. By employing locally, Box Broadband are able to respond quickly and efficiently to any customer issues or maintenance tasks, with a degree of flexibility and local knowledge that larger companies could not achieve. In an industry conventionally run by huge corporations, this personal level of service is a welcome change for many users.

Partnering with groups such as the Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and the Pebsham Community Hub has helped Box Broadband create connections with the local community and provide clear communication with residents and businesses.

Whilst for many, the internet is an essential tool in their day to day lives, there is still a large proportion of the community, especially older generations, who are not confident in using the incredible facility available to them. Whether using it for NHS services, working online, contacting family or just streaming the latest shows, it is important that the digital divides is broached and users are educated on how to effectively use the resources available to them. As part of their community work, Box Broadband also have plans to host skills workshops with local residents to upskill the community and help them make the most of the benefits of the new high-speed fibre broadband available to them at the Pebsham Community Hub.

Box Broadband are also able to offer their customers a triple play service, with broadband, home voip phone lines and a TV offering. By giving customers versatile package options, there is something for everyone, whilst also providing a one stop shop for rural and urban customers alike.

Until June, customers can also take advantage of free installation using the code ‘ATLAST’.