Game changer for community as Hartlepool village broadband connection is upgraded

Residents in Dalton Piercy, on the outskirts of town, have seen download and upload speeds jump from less than 1Mbps to upwards of 45Mbps.

The upgrade comes with the powering up of a new superfast wireless broadband solution within the area which has been delivered by Voneus.

Increased speeds and stability have arrived much to the delight of those working from home, streaming services, and playing online games.

For resident Kylie Kendrick, who works as a technical specialist for lecture capture at Durham University, previous weak connection provided a particularly difficult challenge to her other role as the university’s esports lead.

Kylie, who also spends significant time gaming online herself, said: “We were warned by family friends before we moved that the broadband connection in Dalton Piercy was awful, but we thought it couldn’t be that bad.

“It was worse than we could have imagined. In order to play anything I had to make sure I was the only one online otherwise the input delay and connection drop-outs would be too severe.”

Kylie and other members of the village started looking for alternative providers to bring a faster and more stable connection to Dalton Piercy.

After a frustrating search, residents’ calls were answered when Voneus approached Hartlepool Borough Council to help deliver its plans for a new network for Dalton Piercy.

Councillor Paddy Brown, chair of the council’s economic growth and regeneration committee, has welcomed the upgrade and added: “We are extremely keen to see connectivity in rural areas of Hartlepool improved.

“With more people working from home following the pandemic, it’s even more important that all parts of Hartlepool have the best possible connectivity, which is why we are delighted by Voneus’ investment in the area.”

Zoe Day, head of community engagement at Voneus, said further upgrades are planned nearby.

She said: “We are thrilled that Kylie and the rest of Dalton Piercy are now live with superfast broadband and we look forward to bringing more villages and towns in County Durham up to speed in the near future.”

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