The benefits of broadband aren’t just about what you’ve got but also what you do with it. That’s why we are running a series of workshops aimed at helping people get the most from the internet and social networking.

Getting the most from the internet

Tackle the Jargon, find the things which interest you, useful websites, keeping in touch, staying safe…

• Reepham – Bircham Centre  October 8^th –  1:00pm – 4:00pm
• Horsford Village Hall  October 11th  – 7:00pm – 10:00pm
• Spixworth Village Hall  October 23rd  – 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Social Networking – what is it and how can I use it?

Stay in touch, find somewhere to eat, fuel your hobbies – Social networks do it all

• Horsford Village Hall September 26^th – 7:00pm – 10:00pm
• Reepham – Bircham Centre  October 15^th  –  1:00 – 4:00
• Spixworth Village Hall  November 14^th  – 7:00pm – 10:00pm

To book your free place contact Norfolk RCC  :

Tel: 01362 698216 or email: office@norfolkrcc.co.uk

More customers in more villages are enjoying the benefits of fast, reliable, high quality broadband from ThinkingWISP as four new villages become live.

• Brandiston,
• Buxton with Lamas
• Cawston,
• Colby,
• Coltishall,
• Eastgate,
• Felthorpe,
• Haveringland,
• Hellesdon,
• Hevingham,
• Lenwade,
• Marsham,
• Norwich,
• Rackheath,
• Skeyton,
• Sparham,
• Spixworth,
• Swannington
• Themelthorpe

The speed we used to get was appalling we couldn’t even download the simplest file let alone the complex data we needed to access online. ThinkingWISP has made an enormous difference. We have a number of shops and the broadband I get from ThinkingWISP allows me to monitor everything remotely, whether it’s checking sales or logging into security cameras. This saves me time and money. Good quality broadband is essential to running a successful business.”

Rob Mutimer – Swanington Farm to Fork

 

Come along to the Aylsham show on the 27th August and say hi!

We’re in the food area

For more information on the Aylsham show click here

 

As part of our commitment to quality we’re committed to helping people understand broadband better therefore allowing them to make more informed choices. We’ve put together some information below which we think goes to the heart of what people need to know.

How much speed do I need?

Many applications on the internet do not require a huge speed to function effectively as long as you have a high quality reliable broadband connection. Of course you may always want a faster speed to be able to download things like films, music and photos faster!

Often the key issue people forget is that usage is cumulative, so it depends what other things you (or other people in your home or business) will be using your connection for at the same time.

To give an illustration: imagine you’re online shopping (using about 1mb/s) whilst downloading a film or game demo (about 4mb/s to download 1GB in 30min), and at the same time you’ve got a teenager in the house on skype (about 1mb/s) whilst the other half is watching a high quality YouTube video (about 2mb/s). That’s a total of approximately 8mb/s.

This is why we offer basic packages for those that just need to get online alongside packages with more speed and bandwidth for those that need it. Our focus is on providing a high quality reliable service for all our customers whatever their needs.

Why do I get a slow speed?

There are a range of a factors that cause slow speeds. For most rural areas the simple answer is line length. The signal strength in the copper cables that carry traditional services degrades over distance. The further you are form the exchange the weaker the signal and therefore the slower the maximum possible speed you can receive.  Its also important to consider that this is the actual line length not your ‘as the crow flies’ distance form the exchange which can be considerably shorter. Rural exchanges usually cover large geographical areas which is why broadband is particularly bad for rural communities.

As ThinkingWISP is wireless it isn’t effected by the length of copper cables and the ranges we transmit over  are chosen to ensure you always receive a good signal strength.

Another important factor is….

Who do I share my connection with?

Put simply when people quote a broadband speed they are talking about an allocation of bandwidth you can think of this as a pipe. The speed quoted is the maximum flow of data down that pipe. What providers do with a standard retail broadband package is allocate more than one customer per section of pipe. This is called contention. The contention ratio is the number of customers per pipe. So if you are quoted 50mb/s and you have 50 people using the service at the same time then you are only going to get 1mb/s (assuming the service is managed effectively and bandwidth allocated evenly).

This is why when the kids get home from school broadband speeds often fall as you are sharing your connection with more active users. On the other hand if you happen to be browsing at 2 am you’ll generally get a much better speed!

We are committed to maintaining low contention ratios and actively managing connections so that all our customer receive a high quality service.

Although a little out of date this BBC article has some more information about why differences in speed occur.

 

 

Customers in the following villages are already enjoying the benefits of fast, reliable, high quality broadband from ThinkingWISP.

• Brandiston,
• Cawston,
• Colby,
• Coltishall,
• Eastgate,
• Felthorpe,
• Haveringland,
• Hevingham,
• Marsham,
• Norwich,
• Rackheath,
• Skeyton,
• Sparham,
• Spixworth,
• Swannington

Call 01603 558001 to join them today.

 

The Government broadband strategy’s focus on delivering certain speeds risks leaving people and businesses in areas of the UK behind, according to a report published today by the House of Lords Communications Committee.

The Committee say that the Government is preoccupied with speed rather than focusing on access.

At ThinkingWISP we are focused on ensuring access to reliable local broadband that provides a high quality service, giving people the speed they need and the reassurance it will work when they want it.

To read the House of Lords Communications Committee report click here

As part of our continued investment in the ThinkingWISP service we have put repeater units in a number of locations. These allow customers to have the  ThinkingWISP service in areas where they previously couldn’t get a signal.

The repeater are located in :

• Hellesdon
• Spixworth
• Rackheath
• Swannington
• Brandeston

Repeaters allow connections not only in those areas but anywhere where their is a line of site of the unit. So if you live in these areas or  near to them and suffer from poor broadband get in touch….

 

ThinkingWISP will be at the Royal Norfolk show, 27th- 28th June stand number 177 together with Affinity, Com Tech and In Touch. Whether you’re a customer, considering ThinkingWISP or just interested to find out more please come along and say hello.

In our first Customer feedback survey  100% rated ThinkingWISP’s services as very good or excellent overall and 100% very good or excellent for support services. All respondents also said they would recommend the service to a friend.

“When we started ThinkingWISP we knew high quality broadband was about more than just speed; reliability, customer service and technical support were all equally as important. That’s why we are really happy with the feedback we’ve had.” Said Jon Clemo, Chief Executive of Norfolk RCC, one of the organisations behind ThinkingWISP.

ThinkingWISP is a next generation Wireless Internet Service Provider or WISP which offers a fast way to connect to the internet without the speed, cost or service restrictions of traditional solutions. As it’s a wireless system you can benefit even if your current internet speed is very slow because of where you live. In addition, you do not need a BT line so there is the opportunity to save money.

ThinkingWISP has been created by a partnership of Norfolk based organisations. Norfolk RCC, AF Affinity and InTouch Systems have come together to provide communities in Norfolk with fast, reliable broadband connections.

“Even more important than the quality feedback is the benefit ThinkingWISP is making to peoples’ lives whether individuals, businesses or families.” said Jon Clemo

Some of the comments from our customers:

“Convenient, time saving, keeps blood pressure down”

“The improved download speed speeds up access to information on the web for my children doing homework”

“Ease of use with no frustrations”

“[we can now] look at videos, order on the net without having to worry whether the payment went through or not due to line dropping”

“Uploading websites doesn’t take all morning any more. We can watch YouTube / iPlayer without waiting all day for it to load.”

“[we can now] access online submissions of data and regulatory requirements”

How can we do this?

“by controlling all aspects of the infrastructure for ThinkingWISP we can ensure we deliver a product we can be proud of and that provides a real benefit to local businesses and people.” said Steve Temple at InTouch Systems

“For rural businesses internet speed and reliability are extremely important.  With the vital role of the internet today, it is hard to run a business if you don’t know whether or not you will be able to go online.  ThinkingWISP’s quality gives you reassurance, allowing you to focus on the core business of your enterprise,” said Clarke Willis, Director, AF Affinity

“Our focus going forward is on growing the service whilst maintaining this high level of quality.” said Jon Clemo

Do you get this from your provider? Sign up to ThinkingWISP today