Future-proof broadband comes to Ballymena

Ballymena Business Centre is set to benefit from having access to Full Fibre gigabit broadband technology, having successfully secured the roll out to 52 business units located in the Co. Antrim facility thanks to a Government voucher scheme and Openreach’s ‘Fibre Community Partnership’.

The Fibre Community Partnership aim to build a customised fibre solution to bring ultrafast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband in communities who are not currently included in any private or publicly financed fibre rollout plans, by putting joint funding arrangements in place together with advising people on grants they can access from local authorities or the Government. 

Ballymena Business Centre is a Northern Ireland charity committed to promoting enterprise and entrepreneurship in the greater Ballymena area. It has a range of resources available for local firms to avail of to help progress growth. 

Through the partnership, the centre was able to utilise Rural Gigabit Connectivity vouchers that are available from the government. It is fantastic that we have been able to work together to find a solution that accommodates their speed and download demands so that 40 businesses, located at 52 units, that form part of the scheme can now avail of Full Fibre broadband at no additional cost.

There are currently eight communities in Northern Ireland that have benefitted from the  Fibre Community Partnership scheme with Openreach, including parts of Dundrod, Moy, Killyman, Markethill and Ballymena. Across the rest of the UK more than 1330 communities have signed up for a fibre partnership with us to bring fibre to their area.

Meanwhile more than 260,000 homes and businesses in NI can order full fibre broadband service. Openreach plans to have half of premises enabled by end of March 2021. 

Find out more about Fibre Community Partnership.