Free broadband offer for vulnerable London households
January 15, 2021
By Colin Mann
Full-fibre broadband network provider Community Fibre is supporting communities in London through the lockdown by providing a free 100 per cent full-fibre 50Mbps Internet connection to vulnerable households to ensure children’s education doesn’t suffer as a result of poor connectivity. The free service will be provided for 12 months after installation.
At the end of the free period, households can choose to pay to keep the service or cancel it, completely and simply, by returning the router.
“We already provide homes in 18 London boroughs with fibre connectivity and many of these will be eligible to take advantage of this offer if they are classified as vulnerable by their landlords or local councils,” explains Graeme Oxby, CEO of Community Fibre. “Our mission is to bring better broadband to London communities and we always look for opportunities to give back to those we serve. It is critical to enable those who are home-schooling but struggling with slow connections or no connection to benefit from fast, reliable full-fibre broadband to help as many children as possible to continue their education and prepare their future.”
“Many of our families have been struggling with home-schooling due to poor connectivity,” notes Peter Butler, Business Development Manager of Origin Housing. “The offer from Community Fibre, to provide free and fast 100 per cent full-fibre connections, demonstrates the company’s willingness to help out the families that are most in need. It is a sign of the strength of the partnership we have built with Community Fibre and we would encourage other London landlords to grant them the wayleave agreement to upgrade to a full-fibre broadband network at their own properties.”
“As technology becomes ever-more embedded in our lives, the fabric of society is increasingly held together by the light of high-speed fibre,” advises Teresa Cottam, Chief Analyst at specialist consultancy Omnisperience. “In the current crisis, our networks have played a vital role in keeping families connected, helping businesses survive, and ensuring children continue with their education. With this offer, Community Fibre is living up to its name by going that last mile and ensuring no child in its neighbourhood is falling behind simply because their parents can’t afford a decent connection. For them, it’s not just about fibre but about the lives connected to their networks and the opportunities enabled by them.”
Community Fibre has partnered with 30 of the largest landlords in London (including local authorities and housing associations) to identify the vulnerable households eligible for its offer.
The offer is available immediately for eligible households in all the London boroughs served by Community Fibre. In areas not currently served by Community Fibre, landlords will be required to grant wayleaves, so that Community Fibre’s full-fibre network can be installed for eligible residents at no cost.