July 30, 2018 5.31 pm This story is over 68 months old

Church to host broadband for villages

Superfast broadband for more than 370 homes
St Helen's Church, West Keal. Photo: ©Copyright Dave Hitchborne and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.

Plans to bring superfast broadband to more than 370 homes within a 10-mile radius of West Keal are a step closer.

Wireless internet service supplier Quickline Communications is working with a number of authorities churches, pubs and businesses to increase its networks in rural areas.

It has now put in both a planning application and a listed building consent application to East Lindsey District Council to install the equipment at the Church of St Helen in West Keal – a move which it says could see more than 120 houses in the village itself get faster internet.

More than 210 houses in East Keal, 39 in Old Bolingbroke and six in Hagnaby, could also benefit.

A statement of needs by the provider says: “We have looked at broadband provision and the picture tells a story which is typical of a many rural areas.

“There are some villages which are close enough to a fibre enabled cabinet which will provide decent broadband speeds however, this is not the case for everyone.

“There are villages where the typical speed is below 1mbps.”

Quickline says the ‘digital divide’ still affects about 10,500 properties in Lincolnshire as residents wait for traditional telecoms to arrive.

The company says its aerials being sited on St Helen’s will deliver superfast broadband to villages not covered by BT.

The statement also says the church benefits from the arrangement.

“St Helen’s will be able to offer members of the congregation the ability to use the internet when attending church coffee mornings or even a drop in centre for members to use if they wish to trace their family tree for example,” says the statement.

It also states the church would be in a position to ‘stream their services’ as well as update members on repairs and fundraising through social media and email.