Hebron gets connected in time for Christmas

Three UK has today revealed it has provided Hebron residents with a free broadband wireless router to finally bring the village high-speed internet, just in time for Christmas.

Hebron residents were invited to Hebron Parish Church where they could collect a wireless router courtesy of Three.

Residents of Hebron don’t have access to high-speed internet like the rest of the UK, despite having a cabinet fitted by BT in August this year.

Even after numerous complaints to BT from members of the community in Hebron, the Openreach service never arrived. Instead, the 172 residents currently rely on old broadband lines for their internet access, cutting them off from the world and denying them the right to a reliable and fast internet connection.

Before now, the only way for residents to access high speed internet was to pay for costly line upgrades themselves.

The broadband wireless routers provided by Three will connect users to the internet via the Three mobile phone network, without needing a fixed landline or cable.

For Hebron villagers, the sophisticated internet access means they will be able to send festive photos to family and catch up with their favourite TV shows with reliable connectivity for the first time, without enduring the buffering and slow speeds to which they have become accustomed to.  

The wireless routers will come loaded with free data which could keep residents online for up to one year, depending on how they choose to use their home broadband units.

In their quest to bring reliable access to mobile internet to everyone, Three has also joined forces with the likes of Talk Talk and CityFibre in a campaign called Make The Air Fair. The campaign argues that no one mobile network should own more than 30% of the mobile airwaves, which would provide more choice for consumers, improved performance, faster speeds and lower prices.

Andrew Kelly, a Hebron resident for 45 years and Parish Councillor said: “The internet connection in Hebron has been a problem ever since the internet arrived. We rely on the copper cable that runs to the village for internet access. It often causes distortion and means residents have never had the luxury of high speed broadband. I run a strategic human resources consultancy from my home, so it’s not an option for me to be offline and therefore out of touch with candidates and clients. As a result, I have to have fixed broadband as back up and a portable Wi-Fi device that I use for my internet needs, which of course is very costly. It’s amazing how much the internet provides for us these days, but in Hebron we can’t rely on or take advantage of it.”

Councilor Dave Ledger from Northumberland County Council: “Here in rural Northumberland the internet is incredibly slow and frustrating. Some remote villages like Hebron can’t benefit from fast internet speeds like the majority of the country do. We’re delighted that Three has visited us today so that residents can finally get up to speed – whether that’s for business or their own personal use. Children can finally do their homework online, families can catch up on the latest box sets, farmers can order vital supplies and business can download emails at speeds never been experienced before!”

The wireless routers being provided to Hebron residents require a mobile broadband SIM to work, but there are no lengthy installations required and up to 32 wireless devices can be connected to the router.

Mony Kochupillai, Head of Customer Strategy from Three said: “We believe everybody should have access to fast internet and we’re on a mission to get the people of Hebron online, so they’re able to enjoy reliable and high speed internet from the comfort of their homes.”

Three’s Home-Fi is aimed at those have unreliable or patchy internet connections. As the router is not linked to a fixed landline, it’s ideal for those who require internet access short term or don’t want to commit to broadband with a landline. The router is ideal for people in temporary business locations and students, as well as anyone who has unreliable internet connectivity due to their geographical location. 

The Home-Fi device is available in 135 Three stores nationwide, primarily in non-congested areas.

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