Bigblu Broadband PLC Quickline Leads GBP6m Rural Superfast Mobile Project (5806D)

TIDMBBB

RNS Number : 5806D

Bigblu Broadband PLC

20 February 2020

Bigblu Broadand plc

("BBB" or the "Company")

Quickline Update

Quickline to Lead GBP6m Rural Superfast Mobile Project

Bigblu Broadband plc (AIM: BBB.L), a leading provider of alternative super-fast broadband services, announces that its subsidiary, Quickline Communications ("Quickline"), has been selected to lead a GBP6m project to boost rural connectivity in North Yorkshire.

The project will focus on bringing mobile connectivity to the County where 35% of the population currently has no 4G mobile coverage. It will also test how superfast mobile connectivity can benefit North Yorkshire in boosting tourism, tackling social isolation and acting as an early warning system for flooding emergencies.

Other partners with Quickline include a mix of specialist small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and the universities of York and Lancaster. The partnership has secured GBP4.5m of Government funding with a further GBP2m being added by the industry partners.

The project, which is a continuation of the technical partners' previous work with the 5G Rural Integrated Testbed project ("5GRIT"), will investigate how rural mobile connectivity can help eliminate the not-spots of North Yorkshire by developing new technologies, apps and services tailored for rural areas. It aims to understand how the public, private and community sectors can work together to reduce the cost of delivering mobile access in rural areas.

The project is supported by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, as part of the 5G Rural Connected Communities Trials and Testbed programme. This GBP30m programme supports national projects to determine how best to use the 5G technology to deliver services across the entire nation.

Andrew Walwyn, CEO of Bigblu Broadband, commented: "This is great news for Quickline and we are delighted that it has been selected to lead such a prestigious project. As one of the UK's largest wireless internet service providers, Quickline continues to work closely with various Public Sector bodies and is focused on improving rural connectivity; its innovative solutions remain appealing to a growing number of regions."

Steve Jagger, Chief Executive of Quickline Communications, said: "Quickline's mission is to use innovation in equipment and approach to bring ubiquitous coverage of high-speed data and associated services across the harder to reach parts of the country. We are pleased to be part of a project that shares these values and outcomes and are excited by the opportunity to push the boundaries further."

Contacts

 
 Bigblu Broadband plc                      www.bbb-plc.com 
 Andrew Walwyn, Chief Executive Officer    Via Walbrook PR 
  Frank Waters, Chief Financial Officer 
  Dominic Del Mar, Corporate Development 
 
 finnCap Ltd - Nomad and Broker            Tel: [phone] 
 Marc Milmo / Simon Hicks / Charlie 
  Beeson 
 (Corporate Finance) 
  Tim Redfern / Richard Chambers / 
  Manasa Patil 
  (ECM) 
 
 Walbrook (Media and Investor Relations)   Tel: [phone] 
 Nick Rome/Tom Cooper/Nicholas Johnson     or [e-mail] 
 

About BBB

Bigblu Broadband plc (AIM: BBB), is a leading provider of alternative broadband solutions throughout Europe and Australia. BBB delivers a portfolio of super-fast wireless broadband products for consumers and businesses unserved or underserved by fibre.

The Company has a significant target market with 27m customers in Europe with speeds of under 4 Mb, and a further 1m in Australia who have been identified as only suitable for either satellite or fixed wireless broadband.

High levels of recurring revenue, increasing economies of scale and Government stimulation of the alternative broadband market in many countries provide a solid foundation for significant organic growth as demand for alternative super-fast broadband services increases around the world.

Acquisitive and organic growth have enabled BBB to grow rapidly since inception in 2008 during which time the Company has completed 20 acquisitions across nine different countries. It is extremely well positioned to continue growing as it targets customers that are trapped in the 'digital divide' with limited fibre broadband options.

BBB's range of solutions includes satellite, next generation fixed wireless and 4G/5G delivering between 30 Mbps and 150 Mbps for consumers, and up to 1 Gbps for businesses. It provides customers ongoing services including hardware, pre- and post-sale support, installation, billing and warranties whilst offering various tariffs depending on end user requirements.

Importantly, as its core technologies evolve, and cheaper capacity is made available, BBB continues to offer ever-increasing speeds and higher data throughputs to satisfy market demands for 'video-on- demand'. Its alternative broadband offerings present a customer experience that is similar to that offered by wired broadband and the connection can be shared in the normal way with PCs, tablets and smart-phones via a normal wired or wireless router.

Mobile Access North Yorkshire (MANY)

Project Summary

The Mobile Access North Yorkshire (MANY) project will support the development of future rural connectivity in the county by developing new technologies, apps and services tailored for rural areas. These will focus on tourism, mental health, coverage for emergency services and environmental management.

The project will build small mobile phone networks in areas that have no mobile coverage. It aims to understand how the public, private and community sectors can work together to reduce the cost of delivering mobile access in rural areas. The project is led by Quickline Communications, one of the largest wireless ISPs in the country working with North Yorkshire County Council, two universities and four small businesses.

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February 20, 2020 02:30 ET (07:30 GMT)