Case Study: B4RN

Introduction

For rural communities across Europe, full-fibre broadband can be incredibly hard to come by. National data in the UK shows that 66% of rural premises have gigabit-capable coverage compared to 93% in urban areas, with remote regions like the North of England lagging behind. Although Internet Service Providers (ISPs) serve these areas, speeds can be slower, reducing reliability for customers.

In these rural areas, Alternative Network ISPs (Altnets) such as Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN) specifically target hard-to-reach communities with gigabit full-fibre broadband. As a non-profit community benefit society, B4RN combines community investment with local participation to expand its network.

Challenge

B4RN is unique as a community benefit society. This means it is funded in a very different way to a normal ISP, relying on community funding through shares and government vouchers to cover the costs of building projects within localities. The organisation also relies on huge community engagement in its projects, attracting hundreds of volunteers who help build networks and act as ambassadors for B4RN in their neighbourhoods.

However, these rural communities across the North of England present some of the most difficult working environments all year round. Challenging terrain, dispersed properties, and unpredictable weather conditions can slow deployment and increase costs. Delivering full-fibre connectivity in these areas requires sustained involvement from all parties, where efficiency is crucial.

Solution

This is where splicing can help. With homes and buildings spread so far apart across the rural North, continuously laying new cable is expensive. Splicing allows technicians to join shorter cables together in an efficient way instead of laying one long cable, as well as extending existing networks without full replacement. That way, branches can be added to meet even the smallest of communities.

Recognising the importance of delivering connectivity to these remote areas, Sumitomo Electric has been a longstanding partner of B4RN. As a global Japanese company with history dating back over 400 years, we combined our manufacturing heritage and proven engineering expertise to supply a wide array of splicers to B4RN, supporting their aims from the get-go. B4RN were even asked on occasion      to trial new models from Sumitomo Electric, helping push boundaries through real-world testing.

These models included the T-502S, an elite active clad alignment fusion splicer with hot core analysis, bringing operational efficiency, portability, and usability all in one lightweight package. The T-72C+ High Definition Core Alignment splicer was also used in the core network to optimise the splice loss in even the most challenging of environments.

Result

As of June 2026, B4RN has covered 32,000 rural premises in England, in part thanks to the role of Sumitomo Electric. The portfolio of splicers supplied by Sumitomo Electric has provided unparalleled efficiency for B4RN’s on-site engineering teams, helping to grow its customer base to a total of 15,700 across the country – a figure that only continues to rise.

To this day, the splicing expertise of Sumitomo Electric proves indispensable in laying fibre around common obstacles for rural deployments, such as drystone walls, farmland, and rivers.

This partnership has been a crucial part of B4RN’s mission to bring future-ready infrastructure and sustainable growth to historically unconnected households. Growth ambitions have already been exceeded, and with rollout still continuing to gather pace, Sumitomo Electric looks forward to maintaining this valuable collaboration in the years to come!

Quotes

“Our mission at B4RN is to remain steadfast in connecting and maintaining our customers across the rural North of England, part of which is reliant on only using the best equipment at our disposal. Sumitomo Electric splicers have remained an ever-present in our arsenal, supporting and assisting our mission from the very beginning. Thanks to their portfolio, our installers have been able to provide very high reliability to our growing customer base over extended distances.”

Tom Rigg, CEO of B4RN

“As part of our commitment to Connect with Innovation, Sumitomo Electric is dedicated to extending our unparalleled expertise to even the most remote communities. Through our longstanding partnership with B4RN – spanning over 13 years – we combine cutting-edge splicing technology with a shared mission to bridge the digital divide.

Together, we are enabling full-fibre connectivity in those difficult to reach locations, with the support from our range of fusion splicers designed to deliver reliability and high-performance wherever they are needed most.”

Russell Woolsey, General Manager at Sumitomo Electric Europe