A RURAL community's bid to bring lightning-fast broadband to homes and businesses has reached a major milestone.


Hyperfast internet is now live at Yealand Village Hall, giving cause for celebration to the volunteers and contractors who have spent months laying fibre-optic cables across farmers' fields.


The community-led B4YS project is bringing hyperfast fibre-optic broadband to Yealand, Silverdale and Storth, through a combination of volunteers, donations and farmers digging in return for shares in the broadband company.


Villagers took matters into their own hands because of the frustration caused by slow internet speeds via old-fashioned copper wires, with some people struggling to get 2Mbps, compared to 1,000Mbps with the new fibre-optic service.


With hyperfast broadband it takes 38 seconds to download a movie or five seconds to send 200 photos, compared to five hours 13 minutes or 40 minutes at the old speed.


Mike Macklin, of the Yealand team, said: "The hyperfast broadband service is now live in Yealand Village Hall.We completed the fibre blowing three weeks ago but we needed the B4RN technicians to connect us to the network. This work was completed yesterday (Saturday, May 2). The hall is now connected, together with a few properties and businesses on the route from Tewitfield.


"The installation of the duct continues in Conyers, and is now well advanced. We are now waiting for permission for the road crossings from Lancashire County Council, which should be received shortly. We are making progress on the wayleaves through Redmayne and hopefully work will start on the laying of the duct shortly."


There will be a demo day in the Yealands parishes soon so that more people can find out about the new hyperfast broadband. Work is also progressing to bring hyperfast internet to Silverdale and Storth.


To find out more, visit www.b4ys.org.uk