Founded to help bridge the digital divide, Gigaclear is a UK provider of ultra-high-speed broadband service to rural communities that have difficulty accessing the internet. The company builds and manages FTTP connection infrastructure to connect homes and businesses directly to top-speed networks. Gigaclear provides FTTP infrastructure on a nationwide scale, primarily in southern and central England where many locations have historically not received adequate broadband services compared to urban areas. Their efforts to extend FTTP networks through various challenging geographic areas help provide citizens with access to digital services that help support working remotely, educating children online and stimulating local economies. Gigaclear financed its infrastructure through a combination of private capital and public sector funding developed specifically to improve access to high speed networks in under-served regions.

Solutions Offered by Gigaclear Ltd.

Full Fibre Home Broadband

Gigaclear is using fibre-to-the-premises technology to deliver a full-fibre home broadband service. This means that instead of using a mix of fibre and copper connections to deliver broadband to homes, only fibre will be used to deliver the service. This technology allows for a consistent level of service without the inconsistency often found with hybrid networks. Gigaclear's Broadband services are designed to provide a suitable level of service for all households, whether they have basic requirements for the Internet to more advanced requirements involving multiple users or devices. The installation process involves connecting the fibre line to the property boundary and getting the indoor equipment configured to establish a network. Customers will select their preferred broadband package and installation timeframe, and the broadband service provider will provide all of the equipment and installation services needed to get the broadband working properly.

The ability to use multiple devices at the same time is one of the benefits of this service. This is particularly useful in households where streaming, gaming and working from home all happen at the same time. This service provides consistent upload and download speeds as required for video conferencing and cloud work. Because it is delivered through a fibre network, users do not lose connection strength due to distance (as may occur with traditional rural broadband services), providing service quality throughout its coverage area.

Smart WiFi

The Smart WiFi system allows the client to connect to the Internet via mesh networking technology that provides ubiquitous broadband coverage throughout the client’s entire house. Each base broadband router is able to connect to more than one base broadband router. Multiple base routers will work together to distribute signals throughout the home (as opposed to having just one base router send out a signal). Because of this approach, problems such as signal dropout in larger or more than one room houses will be solved. The base router is included in every broadband packet and additional routers can be added based on the dimensions and design of the client’s home. When using mesh technology, all of the mesh routers will communicate with one another to calculate optimal routes for sending data between devices as they are used throughout the home.

A mobile app manages the system, providing users with systematic guidance during installation and giving them control of different network settings. Users may manage their devices, use parental controls to restrict certain types of traffic, as well as create a guest account so that guests can connect without affecting the primary network's credentials. The mesh topology also allows for future expansion by adding new nodes or access points to the network without requiring a complete redesign of the network infrastructure; thus, more nodes can easily be added over time, creating an increase in the size and capacity of the network as needed.

Broadband + Home Phone

With this solution providing a combination of both a broadband and home phone service, voice communications are integrated into the fiber’s broadband infrastructure. Rather than relying solely on traditional analogue phone lines, this solution uses internet-based voice transmission for both outgoing and incoming calls on a single connection that also provides broadband services. Customers may also keep their existing phone numbers if desired, and the transfer of the existing phone number will occur at the time of setup. This service is offered on terms that provide either flexibility (e.g. the ability to either continue with their current level of use or change to a different level of use) without a long-term commitment (contract) and supports a range of features through digital call routing, making these features easier to deliver than with analogue systems.

Functions include the "normal" telephone features—such as voicemail, the ability to forward calls, and caller ID—along with extra controls to enable a user to block various types of calls (for example, international or withheld-number calls). These additional controls enhance the user's ability to manage their calls while also providing customers with added security when making phone calls. All of these functions, including the basic telephone features mentioned previously, can be used through the user's existing broadband connection without requiring any additional equipment.

Switching

Gigaclear will help the client move to their All Fibre broadband by giving the client a choice of plans that suit their needs. The client can add more than one plan to suit their home (e.g. WiFi or Internet) and have them all installed at the same time. The client will need to decide which packages fit their budget and which package(s) they want at home. At this point, the client will have the option of having their new internet router installed before or after they switch to Gigaclear’s service. There is also an option for the client to purchase a managed service that helps coordinate the transition between their previous internet provider and Gigaclear’s network. Gigaclear’s goal is to eliminate the gap in service or overlap in service due to the time involved in switching from one internet provider to another.

Most new service installations will provide guidance to align cancellation of the current service with the installation of the new service. As part of the installation of new service, the property will be connected to the fibre network and the customer’s internal setup will be configured. At the conclusion of the installation, the prior service can be terminated. Throughout this process and transition to new service there is also customer support available to assist with any logistical issues or technical questions that may arise.

Nathan Rundle | CEO 

“Gigaclear’s network is developed through commercial investment and the government-subsidized Project Gigabit programme.”