Isle of Wight-based wireless supplier, Click4Internet, have sold their wireless network to broadband provider, WightFibre.
The move, Cowes-based company says, will enable them to provide 90 percent Island-wide superfast broadband coverage.
WightFibre has been providing high-speed broadband to the Island since 2001, but unable able to reach all rural areas with fibre alone. Since 2012, they’ve been working in partnership with Click4Internet, whose wireless network covers the Isle of Wight and parts of Hampshire around the Solent.
Improve rural connectivity
John Irvine, CEO of WightFibre told OnTheWight this afternoon,
“This move is recognition of the issue faced by many across our Island and reflects the importance we place on focusing on ways to improve rural connectivity beyond where it is today.”
The company say the combination of WightFibre’s extensive technical support and existing infrastructure with Click4Internet’s more rural coverage, will allow them to now deliver a “superior service to more areas of the Island”.
Angry customers during outage
Earlier this year, Click4Internet customers were left angry after a week without Internet access.
The seven-day outage severely affected professionals, farmers, holiday home providers, and residents, who found themselves having to tether from mobile phones or rely on the goodwill of friends.
Following the outage, the company claimed they’d been subject to ‘criminal activity’. It’s not clear what the outcome of that investigation was.
Helping those “poorly served by BT”
Click4Internet Managing Director, Frazer Munro, says,
“Click4Internet has been providing service to large areas of the Island who have been poorly served by BT. With over 500 homes and businesses on our network we had reached a point where we needed help to accelerate the development and take up of our services.
“WightFibre will be able to deliver this. We feel we are leaving our existing network and customers in very capable hands.”
Image: John Irvine of WightFibre with Lisa Hollyhead and Frazer Munro of Click4internet signing the agreement at the WightFibre offices in Cowes.
