High-speed wireless broadband has been rolled out to the Norfolk village of Postwick as part of the Wispire initiative, which involves signal transmitters being attached to local churches.

Postwick has become the fourth community to gain access to the service, following hot on the heels of Blofield Heath, Ringland Hills and Beeston near King's Lynn.

Steve Batson, director of Norwich-based internet service provider Freeclix, revealed the company is planning to extend availability to any village with a church and is aiming to hook up an additional ten locations next month, reports the Eastern Daily Press.

"We identified that rural areas needed to be looked after and wanted to expand our existing wireless network out of Norwich," he remarked.

A special launch event was held at Postwick Village Hall on Saturday (December 10th 2011), offering residents the opportunity to sign up for the Wispire broadband service, which offers guaranteed speeds of 6Mbps.

In contrast, the current average download rate in the area is around 0.5Mbps.

Freeclix came up with the idea of involving churches in its wireless broadband project while considering high spots across Norfolk where transmitters could be mounted.

David Broom, deputy secretary for the Diocese of Norwich, stressed it is vital for businesses to have the fastest possible broadband access due to the current economic climate.

The diocese is one of the oldest in England and covers an area of more than 1,800 sq miles, while the local population stands at approximately 815,000 people.

"We see this as an opportunity for the church to re-establish itself at the heart of their communities, particularly in rural areas where the village shop, post office and other amenities are long gone," Mr Broom commented.

An additional advantage is that security cameras are supported by the wireless broadband signal, helping to protect the churches from lead theft, he added.

Add a comment

Comment

Your name

Your e-mail address

Comments (0)