COMMUNITY volunteers in Crook are busy trying to establish wider access to full-fibre broadband from Cleabarrow to Plumgarths.

The Broadband for the Rural North Ltd (B4RN) is a community benefit society, which means that it can only distribute profits to the community or expand the network. 

The Mail: The number of properties B4RN claims are signed up to their network The number of properties B4RN claims are signed up to their network (Image: B4RN)

The aim of B4RN is to connect rural communities to full-fibre broadband, which offers much higher internet speeds. 

On October 28 the first connection was made at Crook Memorial Hall, and on November 1 the first residents in Crook joined the B4RN network. 

This is only the start of the project, however. Crook will act as the centre, as this is where the servers are based. The different duct routes then branch out from the main chambers, labelled as CK1, CK2, CK3 and so on.

These ducts carry the fibres and then minor ducts break off to each individual property. Landowners have given their permission for the connections to go through their land.

Nick Truch, a key volunteer, said: "The total distance of all the ducting at the moment is around 80km, which all the volunteers have been busy planning and getting wayleaves off land owners for. A clear sign of how desperate we all are for some decent internet!"