Archive for December, 2024
Inexpensive Broadband in Bellingham or not? That is the question

Back in Bellingham for a while – lots going on – eye operations – simple enough but with attendant healing delays before any travel.
Having visits from relatives and visiting friends, watching the ever-present drizzle and waiting as usual for Internet providers…
Maureen and I are both well, but not unusually we’re continuing the struggle to get broadband here in Bellingham. Having managed on a 4G connection for some time now, just, we’ve been keeping up to date with broadband promises and disapointments in the area. Recently I’ve noticed ads for a company called B4RN (that’s not a spelling mistake) and back in the summer they started pushing their service down our postal throat, I contacted them and to cut a long story short, they are making inexpensive fibre a reality in Bellingham – but only if you live in the right place.
After a few emails they owned up that they have no plans to kit out our side of the Bellingham bridge… how they get away with that is beyond me – so as has been my long-term experience in rural parts of Northumberland, we’re stuck with the lack-lustre 4G option (poor signal) or something based on Openreach landlines.

Earlier in December we decided to go with a company called OneStream who it seemed could finally offer a medium speed broadband option at sub-£20 – handy if you’re not here all the time.
The service was to go live on December 24, 2024 – and we’re told it did – however we were also supposed to receive a modem mid-December – which we didn’t despite numerous “Chats” withthe company. It’s now December 28 and it’s still not here. I’m beginning to wonder if this is going to be another waste of time. Thankfully the 4G has held up well enough to get our fair share of christmas TV, always handy when the weather is poor.