TP-Link & Connect Fibre: Delivering WiFi 7 to Rural Areas
Poor connectivity has long-impacted rural areas in the UK, with many struggling to access the internet. In fact, 2024 research from Strand Partners confirmed that as many as 48% of people living in rural areas are experiencing connectivity problems a few times a week.
With this in mind, leading ISP provider TP-Link has partnered with Connect Fibre, the first ISP to deploy its WiFi 7 range to customers. The new co-branded HB610 and HB810 advanced WiFi 7 routers will be a key part of Connect Fibre’s new broadband packages.
Ultimately, the goal is to enable customers to experience gigabit speeds over both wired and wireless connections for the first time.
Confronting a digital divide
As a result of the partnership, both companies aim to offer a new range with speeds of up to 4.8x faster, thereby improving network capacity 5x versus previous WiFi 6 technology.
As a community-minded full fibre network operator, Connect Fibre is eager to bring the best broadband and WiFi technology to underserved communities. This integral partnership comes as TP-Link becomes the first vendor to launch a complete WiFi 7 product line.
This will enable Connect Fibre to advance its offerings and provide customers with much faster internet speeds, extended coverage and improved security.
“We know our customers are looking for improved connectivity. This partnership allows us to offer a range of Wi-Fi 7 products that will deliver seamless broadband in every corner of the home. This is immensely valuable as Wi-Fi 7 is the way forward for us and will play a pivotal role in delivering new multi-gigabit, and for the first time, residential services with symmetrical bandwidth guarantees.”
Customers choosing one of Connect Fibre’s new bundles will also enjoy improved bandwidth performance, with all plans, including a new 2000Mbps package. This is also available with equal upload and download speeds and is believed to be a UK first for a residential package.
The company is also launching a new Wi-Fi 7 Connect Mesh add-on service powered by TP-Link’s HB210 Pro mesh node. This service aims to further strengthen Connect Fibre’s position as the number one ISP for Wi-Fi, offering a Wi-Fi mesh guarantee of 120Mbps.
Likewise, designed to support ISPs, TP-Link’s Aginet Unified Cloud (TAUC) solution is dedicated to simplifying operations, reducing costs over the ISP service lifecycle. It offers comprehensive monitoring and remote troubleshooting support.
The TAUC team works closely with ISPs, including Connect Fibre, to provide training to support teams to ensure they understand the benefits of the product range, and can troubleshoot any issues.
Supporting hybrid working patterns
These offerings are designed to combat a growing digital divide in UK society, with some in rural areas unable to access fast internet, in addition to not having the adequate skills to navigate it.
This partnership is particularly timely, given the recent surge of enterprises around the world eager to get their employees back into the office. However, a recent report from PwC suggests that hybrid workers feel more included and productive than those who go into the office five days a week.
“We know there is increased demand for smart home products as so many continue to work from home and as a result, are investing in their home set-up,” explains Paul Howard, ISP Pre-Sales Director at TP-Link.
“Wi-Fi 7 is a game-changer for video conferencing and streaming requirements, and the performance upgrade will benefit those in rural areas especially.”
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