Creating a compelling rural network

Boosted by five Project Gigabit contract wins, Wessex Internet continues to scale its rural build operations and aims to connect its 10,000th customer in the coming months. Here, CEO Hector Gibson Fleming discusses how the altnet has overcome unique challenges and leveraged government subsidy to build a compact network with a loyal customer base.

With a leadership team driven by frustrations experienced with their own rural connectivity challenges, Wessex Internet has set a clear geographical delivery focus and employs novel methods to reach properties that would otherwise be deemed commercially unviable in its build areas.

Its build projects focus on villages and hamlets, where there is less likelihood of overbuild, and ensure the most remote properties are connected to its network via the routes it plans between larger settlements.

“We believe this approach creates a geographically compact network, but one that provides a reliable and valued service to a loyal customer base,” said Gibson Fleming.

The altnet was an early adopter of the Gigabit Voucher scheme and has delivered 400 projects using this type of subsidy. Gibson Fleming added: "The schemes have been a stimulator for the growth of emerging rural altnets over the last six years, which has left the Government with a more diverse set of providers helping to bridge the digital divide across the country.

“Where we’ve used them, the schemes have provided a great pressure relief, allowing consumers left behind by commercial builds to take the problem into their own hands.”

As Project Gigabit contracts have become more prominent, Wessex Internet has also been active in bidding for this subsidy. So far it has won five BDUK contacts, with its most significant coming in April. This included £33.5m in government funding to deliver broadband to 21,400 homes and businesses in rural areas of south and west Dorset, along with south Somerset.

“Our recent BDUK contract wins, and planned commercial expansions, are allowing us to continue to reach the types of rural communities that we have always focused on, but at a greater pace,” said Gibson Fleming.

“A piece of advice I was once given is to bid for contracts based on network coverage that fits your objectives, not on a subsidy value that looks good on paper,” he added. “The culture here motivates everyone to deliver to all eligible properties in our contract areas, therefore we all work together and innovate towards this common end goal.”

“However, any company awarded a subsidy for network that they don’t really want to deliver - or don’t have the expertise to complete - will end up dragging their business unhappily through a rollout for the next five years. It’s a great bit of advice and has stood us in good stead so far.”

Despite Project Gigabit contracts now covering many of the properties that would have been considered ‘Voucher Properties’, Wessex still uses vouchers on a smaller scale to reach any areas outside the scope of contracts. “I welcome the flexibility they provide to these communities,” added Gibson Fleming.

Winning these contracts is only the start of the work for Wessex due to the sheer volume of planning, construction and management required to deliver each connection. To ensure the contracts are delivered, the altnet will leverage relationships with landowners and work collaboratively with them going forward.  

Gibson Fleming said: “The code supports that process, and we have a lot of success explaining the benefits to landowners locally. However, we have historically and proportionately had to invest a lot more time getting larger national and institutional landowners to understand the benefits of the rollout to rural communities and society more widely.”

He calls for relevant government departments to universally encourage anything that can help smooth delivery, reduce delays, and reduce rural delivery costs. This will ensure councils and national landowners support rural rollouts.

“Stakeholder relations are essential,” he added. “Rural villages tend to be tight-knit communities, so we use in-house planning teams with strong knowledge of the local areas we serve.”

To do this, Wessex also aims to mix staff with strong experience in the sector with local advocates who understand the challenges of their build regions. He said: “We must continue to recruit and retain excellent people across multiple disciplines.

“With one eye to the future, we’re also proud to already be known as a trusted local business in the areas we serve, so we are absolutely committed to retaining our exceptional service standards with this large base of long-term customers.”