Free Superfast Internet comes to Warwick Road
Solway Communications - recently lauded as the ‘Waterproof Broadband Company’ - has set up a free Superfast Internet network for the Warwick Road area.
Engineering director Antony Cross said: “It’s our Christmas present to the City, especially for those battered by the recent floods.”
Solway Communications has joined forces with Carlisle United Football Club, who have made one of their lighting towers available for the service, to provide 100 Megabit connections with equal upload for the whole Warwick Road area hit by the recent floods. The service will be entirely free of charge for at least the next three months.
The recent floods have destroyed the phone, internet and power connection points and routers of most affected properties, and knocked out several BT street cabinets. This means that many properties have lost their landline broadband connections.
The Solway service, which is entirely unaffected by flooding, will put the users of these properties back online. It will also be available for the use of public services like the police and doctors and the contractors (including BT engineers) repairing the damaged properties.
Mobile phone signal in the area is poor because of the exceptionally heavy usage with so many contractors and landline phones and Internet and a number of mobile transmitters out of use. The new Solway service should improve mobile reception as it will offload traffic from the mobile networks.
Solway Communications managing director Nick Kittoe said: “I hope this will help Carlisle to get quickly back on its feet in 2016. Of course, we couldn’t have set up this facility without the help of Carlisle United, who allowed us to use their tower and deserve a big vote of thanks.
“Solway Communications was set up to make Carlisle the best connected city in Britain. Our fibre-optic and wireless networks were unaffected by the recent flooding because they have no copper wires to short out, or equipment in vulnerable street-cabinets. This is just another demonstration of the power of our technologies and creativity of local engineers. We feel honoured to be called The Waterproof Broadband Company.”
United’s sales and marketing director Phil King said: “We’re delighted that we’re able to assist Solway Communications with this project. The local community rallied round and helped us when we needed assistance to clear the stadium after Storm Desmond and this is a great opportunity for us to give something significant back.
“The floodlight pylon at the southern end of the Paddock terraced area will be used for the communications satellite, and the service should be up and running in time to be an early Christmas present for those who live in the Warwick Road area.”
