Carlisle’s Solway Communications, which for eight years has been driving forward innovative solutions that bring the UK’s fastest broadband speeds to Cumbria, is set for a new chapter as part of one of the UK’s newest exciting broadband providers.
Solway Comms initially helped thousands of Cumbrian residents and businesses connect to the internet after building its own wireless infrastructure in the county.
Subsequently, it partnered with Pinnacle Group, to create rapidly growing Grain Connect, a business which lays its own fibre broadband in new housing developments across the UK, based on Solway Comms technology.
Solway Comms can announce today Grain’s success in raising £10m in additional equity finance for the further development of its networks from Albion Investments’ Real Assets Fund.
The investment will allow Grain to grow quickly, having already connected around 44 sites from Aberdeen to London to ultrafast broadband, with a further 300 in the pipeline, as it partners with major housebuilders like Taylor Wimpy, Keepmoat, and Story Homes.
Grain operates across the UK, laying down its own ultrafast broadband cables and infrastructure in new housing developments, giving those that move in immediate access to the fastest broadband speeds in the UK.
This concept was born in Carlisle, when Solway installed its first hyperfast fibre network in Story Homes’ Crindledyke development in North Carlisle. That innovation led to the creation of Grain as a joint venture with Pinnacle Group.
The engineering, sales, administration and customer service teams supporting both Grain and Solway Comms will remain based in Carlisle, partnering with many local suppliers for key contracts such as civil and electrical engineering and financial services.
Since Solway’s launch in 2010, the companies together have created 23 skilled jobs of which 14 are based in Carlisle.
The businesses invest heavily in the training and development of staff, creating a culture of learning and growth. Nick Kittoe (pictured right) and Antony Cross (pictured left) who founded Solway Comms, will continue as directors of both companies.
It will continue as a wireless network, serving residential and business connections. Initially, it will focus on connecting businesses in north and west Cumbria connect to faster, more reliable, broadband.
Mr Kittoe said: “We started with no employees, no infrastructure, and quite frankly no internet connection, just a desire to bring Cumbria quite literally up to speed.
“I am most proud of how the team has developed. We hired people with potential and supported and developed them.
“Carlisle hasn’t always been known for innovation and technology, but to put the city on the map as a hub for new, ultrafast broadband connections feels really special.
“We are delighted that the further rapid progress of Grain, the joint venture Solway Communications founded, is now assured.
“We would like to acknowledge Fred Story’s vision in making our first prototype hyperfast network part of Story Homes’ Crindledyke development.
“As a result, our happy broadband customers all over the UK have come to associate a Cumbrian accent with the highest performance, reliability and resilience and excellent friendly service. Carlisle can be proud of an important Cumbrian export of innovative services to the rest of the UK.”
The Solway Comms business was born when Mr Kittoe was unable to find a decent enough broadband connection to support his other business interests after moving to Thurstonfield, near Carlisle.
Rather than let this stand in his way, Nick looked for a solution and was introduced to expert telecoms engineer, Antony Cross, who implemented a wireless solution that continues to serves Cumbrian businesses to this day.
Essentially Solway Comms beams broadband up 1,000 Mbps (known as ultrafast) from its own transmitters primarily to businesses, but also to some homes, in the region.
Some of the towns and villages that Solway Comms connected now have access to BT’s fibre-copper “Superfast” hybrid, under the delayed “Connecting Cumbria”, broadband rollout, but most customers have stuck with Solway, benefitting from a local support team, fast upload and download speeds, and not having to share a connection with as many other people.
Sales Manager Linda Jamieson joined the business having worked for Nick’s Tranquil Otter holiday lodge business, and is now an expert in telecoms, broadband connections, sales and business development.
Linda has helped navigate some of the region’s most prominent businesses to a better broadband connection.
She will now bring these sales and business development skills to Grain, as it looks to grow and develop new strongholds across the UK. Linda said: “Being part of the Solway Comms journey has given me a career, not just a job.
“I didn’t ever imagine being part of such an innovative technology business, but it feels amazing to be part of something cutting edge and I’m looking forward to the next chapter with Grain.”
Jack Little, support engineer, added: “I was in the store room at Halfords when I read that Solway was looking for an apprentice.
“My mates pushed me into it and I qualified as a support engineer. To be fair, I’ve never looked back. I’m hoping to move up to a fibre installation engineer.”
Antony Cross, Engineering Director, added: “North Cumbria met its own challenge with Solway Comms; now it’s taking that attitude and helping meet the country’s new homes challenge, with Grain.”
