This story is sponsored by OctaPlus.

A Yorkshire company says it can provide hyperfast broadband at a lower price than any available via the well-known price comparison websites. 

OctaPlus is offering a huge speed of 900Mbps – download and upload – for just £1 for the first three months and £27 a month thereafter, beating its competitors on both speed and price by a considerable margin for those who have the install completed before December 31, 2023.

The deal, which comes with no upfront costs, is available only on two- or three-year contracts, but the price for a one-year contract is just £32 per month, which is still cheaper than the company’s rivals. 

Gladstone Gonsalves, who founded Hull-based OctaPlus after partnering with award-winning broadband business CityFibre, said: 

“Other companies simply cannot beat us on value for money. Energy bills, mortgages, groceries – they’ve all gone crazy – but we’re here to lower your costs and help you move over to fibre.” 

He added: 

“All the old copper-wire connections are going to be decommissioned – the government intends to replace them all by 2030 – and all too often they only give you 5-10Mb of the 60-70Mbps promised by the provider anyway. 

“With full fibre, you get higher speeds for a lower price – so what’s stopping you from moving?” 

Hyperfast broadband is commonly considered to refer to connections exceeding 500Mbps – far faster than superfast (30 to 300Mbps) or ultrafast (300 to 500Mbps) – and enables users to download movies in seconds. 

But, says Gladstone, hyperfast broadband is merely a taste of greater things to come: 

“Full-fibre broadband is totally scalable. We can provide 900Mbps today, but our partner, CityFibre, have already tested their network and proved it’s ready for 2,500Mbps – that’s an upto 2.5 Gigabytes service. In the near future, even faster speeds will be available as they develop their multi-gig portfolio.  

“By moving over to full fibre now, you’ll supercharge your connection – with higher speeds, a lower price, and you’ll be ready for the next generation of gigabyte broadband that’s just around the corner. It’s a no-brainer.” 

OctaPlus broadband is available across the Harrogate district. To find out if you can supercharge your connection, visit the OctaPlus website. 

This story is sponsored by Vodafone Pro Broadband.

Have you heard the news? The Stray Ferret has teamed up with Vodafone Pro Broadband to bring the Harrogate district not only the fastest possible internet speed, but also a FREE voucher up to £75 in return!

Whether you work from home, have a digitally congested house or are just looking for super speedy internet, sign up to Vodafone Pro Broadband through our affiliate programme now and receive a voucher to one of your favourite stores.

Need a little more convincing…?

 We’ve compiled a list of things you can buy with your free voucher from the participating stores. So, why not treat yourself to new broadband AND that White Company dressing gown you’ve been eyeing up…

The White Company  

Set of Four Champagne Flutes — £50

Faux-Fur Cross Slider Slippers — £39

Le Creuset Salt/Pepper Mill – £38

Organic Cotton Towel Wrap — £36

Organic Cotton Slub V-Neck T-Shirt — £35

M&S

Champagne Cheers Gift Box — £48

Personalised Silk Pillowcase — £39.50

Pure Cotton Dressing Gown — £35

Cashmere Lined Leather Gloves — £45

Amazon

Sony WH-CH520 Headphones — £49

ELEMIS Pro Collagen Eye Revive Mask — £43.75

Duerer Inflatable Swimming Pool — £49.99

Braun 9-in-1 Grooming Kit — £48.99

Morrisons

And all this for £48.90…

How do I sign up?!

Sign up through our affiliate programme now to receive your free voucher with your super speedy broadband – a totally unmissable deal!

Vodafone Pro Broadband is available now in Harrogate and Knaresborough, and is coming to Ripon very soon.

Thousands of homes and businesses in Harrogate have just been connected to full fibre-enabled broadband services

Fibre optic company CityFibre said yesterday it had made homes in reach of its network in Bilton, Woodlands, Rossett Green, Pannal, Valley Gardens and New Park ‘ready for service’, which means people can choose to connect to full fibre-enabled broadband services.

CityFibre is investing £46 million on upgrading connectivity Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

The rollout is due to be completed in Harrogate this year and will mean almost every home and business locally will have access to full fibre services from a range of internet service providers. The rollout is also now progressing into new areas in Ripon.

Kim Johnston, CityFibre area manager said:

“Our rollout to date has helped transform Harrogate and Ripon’s digital capabilities for both residents and businesses, making them some of the best-connected towns in Britain. We have almost finished in Harrogate and just have a small amount left to do along Otley Road.

“Digital infrastructure has become the cornerstone of modern day-life, and the people we have spoken to say they are already reaping the benefits of lightning fast and more reliable broadband.”

Unlike copper-based fibre broadband services, full fibre networks use 100% fibre optic infrastructure to carry data at lightning speed from the home to the point of connection.

This gives users consistently faster speeds for upload and download and near limitless bandwidth.

Construction is being delivered by Makehappen Group on behalf of CityFibre.

Read more:

• Full Fibre broadband is coming to Harrogate, what does this mean?
• Plan to convert former Harrogate post office into 11 flats approved

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

County council-owned technology firm NYnet has announced that Hornbeam Park is set to become the district’s biggest full fibre business park.

The expansion aims to support the local economy with reliable fibre broadband and guaranteed bandwidth.

The company already delivers full fibre to Saint Michael’s Hospice, which is located at the end of the business park.

The project is supported by the Digital Enterprise Grant which plans to match investments made by businesses at the park.

The CEO of Nynet, Alastair Taylor, said:

“The expansion of our network at Hornbeam Park will mean every business on the site can have access to fast and reliable fibre to the premises, at a price not dissimilar to current non-fibre services.

“The investment we are putting into Hornbeam Park and the service levels businesses will be able to access is excellent news for our region and will help to put Harrogate at the forefront of the UK’s digital economy.”

Nynet Limited was established by the North Yorkshire County Council in 2007. All profits from the company are returned to the council to fund frontline services.

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate home care company wins at regional awards
• Business Breakfast: New business networking group set up in Harrogate
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate Christmas window competition set to return

Free breakfast seminars to review agricultural prospects coming to Harrogate

Rural land surveying firm GSC Grays will be hosting a free breakfast seminar to aid farmers this December.

The seminar will take place on December 6 at Pavillions of Harrogate at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

The company will be reviewing the prospects and options for farmers in the area, as well as advising them.

GSC Grays will give advice and support the agricultural industry in the free seminar 

The session comes at a time of need for farmers with basic payment scheme payments ending and inflation rising.

The Harrogate seminar is one of four scheduled across the North of England as part of GSC Grays’ farm business advice service.

The service has been funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under the Future Farming Resilience Fund Scale Up Project. This gives organisations like GSC Grays grants allowing them to offer free business advice.

Farmers can register their interest by email or by calling 03333 059059.

This advertorial is sponsored by Boundless Networks

Boundless Networks is now connecting customers to its Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband, with speeds of up to 900Mbps, in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Now, you may be thinking “I already have fibre broadband, what is the difference?” but it is likely you just have Partial-Fibre broadband rather than Full Fibre.

Partial-Fibre broadband takes a fibre cable to a local cabinet but only uses a copper cable to your home, copper is not able to deliver the fast speeds reached on full fibre networks.

Using CityFibre’s FTTP network, Full Fibre from Boundless is future-proof and its technology is capable of much faster speeds so your broadband connection is ready for the future and not just today.

Why choose Boundless?

Boundless Networks is different to the big guys with real people delivering excellent customer service. There are no hidden fees either, Boundless will always be upfront about how much you’re going to be paying.

Unlike larger companies, they don’t sentence you to a contract for years. Instead, they believe in just providing a good service. Offering a rolling monthly contract and saying that people stay because they want to; not because they have to.

The product speaks for itself, with a top package of 900Mbps you can rely on Boundless to give you fast and reliable broadband. If something does go wrong, simply give customer service a call and, with their customers being 358% more likely to recommend them to friends and family than the industry average, they will be sure to work all avenues until your broadband works again.

The Boundless customer service team are always on hand to help

Stress-free installation 

Once ordered, installations dates are typically available within six days, but if you aren’t quite ready you can book your installation over a month in advance.

You can choose the date and time of the installation and will get a text from the engineer with an estimated arrival time. The actual installation is stress-free for the customer and once completed you will be fully functional and able to connect.

Customer testimonial 

Don’t just take it from Boundless themselves, Graham Allwood was the first person to get connected with Boundless on CityFibre’s FTTP network. Here are some questions Boundless put to Graham:

• Why did you choose Boundless Network?

“They were a local business offering something others do not, namely a one month contract with the aim of good service in order to keep customers.”

• Have you noticed an improvement in your broadband speed?

“Yes. The speeds are fantastic. I cannot fault it one little bit.”

• How was the installation process?

“Installation went smoothly. They turned up when they said they would, very polite and kept me informed every step of the way. As it was a new install, they were often asking me my preference for where I would like the new cable to be placed.”

• What is the customer service like from Boundless?

“Not had to use it much, but on the few times I have, they were responsive and quick to resolve my questions.”

• What would you say to someone thinking about upgrading their broadband with Boundless Networks?

“Go for it! It’s nice to see a local business trying hard to improve customers experience with such a unique package. I would definitely recommend Boundless Networks should anyone ask me.”

As the network is still being built, more and more homes are connected on a weekly basis. Click here to check your availability now.

Two appointments at Roecliffe pub

A new chef and general manager have been appointed at the Crown Inn in Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge.

The 16th century coaching inn was bought by the Coastal and Country Inns Group in September 2020 and was subsequently refurbished.

The group has hired chef Paul Murphy, who previously helped to establish the Timble Inn near Otley into a five-star hotel. He also worked with fellow chef Frances Atkins at the Michelin-starred Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge.

Paul Bennington will also join the team as general manager.

Mr Binnington, who first teamed up with Paul Murphy at the Station Inn in Birstwith, previously ran the Black Lion in Thirsk.

Chris Hannon, managing director of Coastal and Country Inns, said:

“These two appointments are crucially important for the future of the Crown. The two Pauls, who are both very experienced and very talented, are a true dream team. They work brilliantly together.”

Harrogate’s Duchy Hospital sends medical supplies to Ukraine

The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate has worked alongside a UK-based Ukrainian Doctor to deliver more than 110 tonnes of medical supplies to Ukraine.

Working with the Ukrainian doctors’ union and the British Red Cross, the Duchy Hospital has identified the supplies needed by war-hit hospitals.

The Duchy Hospital is one of 53 Circle Health Group hospitals that has stockpiled supplies such as ventilators, crutches, respiratory masks, scrubs, wound kits and operating tables for Ukrainian hospitals.

The latest delivery contained £185,500 of medical equipment loaded on 35 pallets.

Staff and doctors at Duchy Hospital have raised additional funds with a bake sale, food collection and a 12-hour continuous cycle, which have raised more than £2,000.

Yorkshire-based Boundless Networks is shaking up the world of broadband providers. It’s taking on big-name companies with straight forward packages, no contracts, and excellent customer service.

You can now pre-register to get speed of light full fibre internet, on the CityFibre network, with a FREE activation fee (usually £30) when most homes in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon are connected in the near future.

No nonsense, no hidden fees, no contracts

Mbps (megabits-per-second), Gbps (gigabits-per-second), it can all get a little confusing. But the best way to think of it is like the internet’s equivalent of miles-per-hour. The bigger the number, the faster it is. The faster it is, the more traffic you can consume, traffic being anything that a device like a phone or Xbox sends and receives over the internet. This means a household of data-hungry devices can do their thing when they want, without it impacting other devices or people trying to use the internet.

Sometimes it feels easier to crack the Da Vinci code than understand a broadband package. With Boundless, it’s simple: you pay a fixed monthly price for your internet. That’s it. No confusing add-ons or complicated package names. A home phone and extra equipment to increase the Wi-Fi coverage around your home is still available to those who need it.

You won’t be handcuffed into a contract with extortionate get-out fees, or face any nasty surprises in your bill.

Prices start at £32 a month for 150Mb per second average download speed. That means you can download a 4K Ultra HD movie on Netflix in 12.5 minutes.

At 500Mbps (£38 a month), you can download the same film in under 4 minutes.

Or at 900Mbps (£62 a month), you’ll be able to do it in just over 2 minutes.

Excellent customer service

There’s a reason Boundless can operate without tying its customers into contracts. Customers want to stay.

A Boundless customer is 358% more likely to recommend their services to a friend or colleague than other internet service providers, according to data from Ofcom and Survey Monkey.

You only need to take a look at Boundless’ Trustpilot reviews to see how happy their customers are…

Emma Wilkins: “Boundless have THE BEST customer service. If anything goes wrong they are super quick to fix it, and really friendly too. Such a great team – thanks!”

Graeme Robinson: “The outstanding service I have had from Boundless deserves the highest praise… The results are outstanding and I now continue to choose Boundless because they are the best and have the best people.”

Edward Taylor: “I wouldn’t dream of changing my internet provider now I’ve found Boundless. If I could give 10 stars I would.”

Pre-register for Boundless Networks’ Full Fibre internet, and claim your free activation here.

This article is sponsored by Boundless Networks

Boundless Networks’ Full Fibre internet will be available in Harrogate and Knaresborough very soon. Here’s why you need it, and how to get it with no hidden fees, no contract, and a FREE activation fee.

How to get Full Fibre internet from Boundless Networks

Yorkshire company Boundless Networks uses CityFibre’s newly-installed full fibre network to bring speed of light internet straight into your home. Cables are currently being installed across Harrogate and Knaresborough, with Ripon to follow in 2022, and the first Boundless customers’ homes will be connected next month.

Boundless’ no contract, no hidden fees and no nonsense packages are designed to pair the excellent user experience of Full Fibre with excellent customer service ratings. A Boundless customer is 358% more likely to recommend their services to a friend or colleague than other internet service providers*.

Most homes in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon will be able to access Full Fibre internet in the near future. When you sign up to with Boundless Networks there’s usually a £30 activation fee. But you can get that for free only if you pre-register now.

What is Full Fibre?

Fibre refers to the type of cable used in telecommunications infrastructure. Fibre cables transmit data at the speed of light, and the broadband is far more reliable than older networks.

Genuine Full Fibre internet uses fibre cables from the data centre or exchange, all the way into your home.

Some delivery methods, known as ‘fake fibre’, use a little bit of fibre up to a certain point to give their old networks a boost. But because fibre cables aren’t used the whole way from the exchange into your home, it can be susceptible to reliability issues. Some of the cables are the same kind that’s been used since the Victorian era, whilst others use old Cable TV (coax) networks, and your speed can vary depending on how far away from the street cabinet your home is.

Why you need Full Fibre

Full Fibre internet is capable of speeds far faster than what we need today. If you’re finding your regular broadband just isn’t keeping up with your household’s demand, Full Fibre is the way to go.

Here are some of the signs you need an upgrade to Full Fibre:

• You use lots of internet-connected devices like phones, games consoles, laptops, tablets and TVs
• Your internet speed drops when other family members are online at the same time
• You spend lots of time streaming TV shows and movies from sites or apps like Netflix
• You drop out of video calls because your connection is ‘poor’ or ‘unstable’
• You regularly download or send large files
• You use cloud online services to store data
• You spend ages waiting for your favourite game to download, or for your TV programmes to stop buffering

Pre-register for Boundless Networks’ Full Fibre internet, and claim your free activation here.

*Based on average Net Promoter Score data from Ofcom and SurveyMonkey data from September 2021.