B4BIG
B4BIG was formed purely to enable affordable hyperfast reliable B4RN internet connections for those living and working in and around the area sometimes referred to as "Preston Rural North" and parts of the Forest of Bowland. B4BIG are, with the community's help -financing and building a core "fibre backbone"- connecting us to the internet. We are now formally part of Broadband for the Rur
al North (B4RN). You can find out a lot more about us on our main website: www.b4rn.org.uk
The fact we are a non-profit community project is very important. Joining B4RN, subscribers pay for access to the Internet through our dedicated fibre optic network, BUT the difference is that at B4RN, any profits are reinvested for the benefit of keeping the network running and for our local community. You won't find find other providers who have a similar ethos - and their charges reflect that. Nearly all our staff are volunteers, and we heavily rely upon the goodwill of our local community to enable the network to grow and prosper. All too often, the cities and urban areas get priority for infrastructure, and this includes high speed Internet connectivity. It is often uneconomic for the usual utility companies or councils to provide the same standard of service as they do in urban areas. Rural areas therefore often suffer on aging infrastructure.Look at the roads, power, gas, water and telephone networks in the rural areas and compare with those of our cities. B4RN provide a far better Internet connection to our rural area than is available in many modern cities in the world. This is being done by creating a first class fibre optic network for the benefit of our rural area. We aim to enable local businesses and residents to be properly connected, competitive and technically ahead of many other areas. In turn, it is hoped and predicted that this will provide market opportunities for our local businesses, help retain people working in the countryside and keep villages alive for future generations to come. Delivering a future proof hyperfast Internet may also attract new Internet based businesses to the area, providing employment opportunities and bringing revenue to the area. Importantly for the next generation, this will also bring enhanced connectivity for education, and ensure that our children will have at least the same or better opportunities than those in the connected cities. B4RN have already established a fantastic community-built network to the north of our B4BIG area - and has been doing so for a number of years. B4RN has already demonstrated some transformational results in their area - and now it's our turn as part of B4RN. Our predecessor (Gigabit) funded, built and established the hyperfast connection to B4RN, and now (as part of B4RN) we aim to connect everyone in our Parishes who wants a connection. If you are simply interested in getting connected - or would perhaps like to get involved in helping to build the B4RN network for our community, then do please get in touch, since we gladly accept volunteers or donations of time, money and equipment. Community Dig for a Gig - far better than a money grabbing monopoly and their Superfarce Fraudband!
