B4RN Broadband Reviews

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B4RN 1Gbps Broadband

Our review of B4RN broadband

Who are B4RN Broadband?

Broadband for the Rural North Ltd known as ‘B4RN’ Broadband is a registered non-profit community venture run by a team of local landowners and volunteers. As the name suggests it's a rural broadband service covering a limited area in the North of England. It was founded in Lancashire in 2011 and led by Industry expert Barry Forde. Barry's innovative social enterprise demonstrates that a community approach can deliver a world-class broadband network at a sensible price. It's the community-based approach that has led to B4RN being so successful. Their expanding broadband network has an average takeup of 75% of all properties in the area that they cover. B4RN currently supplies gigabit broadband to over 9000 homes and businesses. Any profit B4RN makes can only be distributed to the community, so by getting connected you're helping support your local community!

What's the cost of B4RN Broadband?

B4RN broadband offers 1000Mbps (1Gbps) as standard. To be fair you're unlikely to need broadband at that speed, but it's nice to know you're ready for the future! There's an option to upgrade to 10Gbps, but that's just showing off! B4RN are so confident about its product and service that they offer all broadband packages on a one-month rolling contract. So, if you need to terminate your contract, you need to give them 10 days' notice. If you're lucky enough to be in a B4RN catchment area, here's a list of current prices, which includes business, domestic and a social broadband tariff. All prices are inclusive of VAT.

Domestic household

One off connection fee £60
£33 per month for broadband

Social broadband tariff

One off connection fee £60
Terms and conditions apply
£15 per month for broadband

Business customers

Micro businesses (Businesses run from home)*

One off connection fee £60
£33 per month for broadband

Independent small businesses (Annual turnover less than £1m)*

One off connection fee £60
£66 per month for broadband

Other businesses (Annual turnover less than £10.2m )*

One off connection fee £60
£66 per month for broadband

*Holiday cottages, caravan sites, schools, larger businesses, hotels, churches etc all have special pricing plans that take into account their special circumstances.

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Advantages of B4RN broadband

  • Incredibly fast broadband 1Gbps
  • Extremely competitive price
  • Social tariffs available

Disadvantages of B4RN broadband

  • Limited network coverage
  • VoIP is the only way to make phone calls, unless you keep your existing landline.
  • It is the property owner’s responsibility to get the duct from the boundary of their property to their house wall.

Read B4RN broadband features in more detail

  • One-off connection fee £360
    £150 per month for broadband

    What area do B4RN Broadband cover?

  • It's a great service and a fantastic price but there are a few things you should be aware of:

    If you want B4RN Broadband, you need to be prepared to get your hands dirty. Unlike most other companies providing FTTP Broadband B4RN request that you dig your own cable duct from your property to the boundary wall. This task can be undertaken by you or a contractor but is your responsibility to organise. B4RN will advise you of the best route to use and what they require.

    Unlike most other ISPs B4RN don’t offer customers the option of an email service. So, you will need to use a third-party email service provider. There are plenty of free email providers to choose from like Google Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Proton Mail, Apple iCloud etc. Most ISPs will allow you to retain your email address when you leave, however this may become a subscription service. If you’re currently with BT, when you cancel your broadband service, any email addresses associated with your account will remain active for 60 days. After 60 days, you will no longer have access unless you choose to transfer your BT email account to ‘BT premium email’. BT charge £7.50 per month for this service.

    As B4RN broadband doesn’t offer a phone line service, you will need to arrange a VoIP (voice over IP) phone service if you still want to use a landline phone. We would recommend VoIP Talk (they're better than their website looks). We also recommend Orbtalk, who are part of the same Telappliant group. VoIP service providers will usually allow you to port your existing phone number, but this must be done before you cancel your phone contract. It’s worth noting that during a power cut, unlike a phone connected to a traditional copper line, a VoIP phone will not be operational. People for whom this presents a problem may want to consider using a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), i.e., a backup battery device.

    For further information visit the B4RN website: www.b4rn.org.uk

  • If B4RN are not available there are other options like:
    Boundless Networks - one of the UK’s leading fixed wireless networks which span across Lancashire and Yorkshire. Boundless Networks

    Airband also offer FTTP or ‘Fixed wireless broadband' solutions in rural locations around Devon, Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Wales, Warwickshire & Worcestershire. Airband

  • Compare 4G & 5G broadband options for rural homes and businesses.

B4RN Broadband customer reviews

A trusted source for genuine B4RN customer experiences. Leave a review to help others
Compare top 10 ISP reviews 2024

4.6
35 reviews
Post review
  • 31
  • 1
  • 0
  • 2
  • 1
  • Package price
    4.6/5
  • Customer service
    4.4/5
  • Broadband speed
    4.6/5
  • Overall satisfaction
    4.7/5
B4RN broadband review
by Keith Coates and Ruby Coates
see the circle going around and around !
  • Package price
    1.0/5
  • Customer service
    0.5/5
  • Broadband speed
    0.5/5
  • Overall satisfaction
    4.5/5
Review
Had this fitted on our static van and it's so bad ! .Its free after you've paid over £200 as we are in a small village static sometimes . I don't think it's worth paying for and if we were here more often I'd pay for something decent .Three times it's been looked at and it's just cheap and nasty plastic with 2 antenna sticking up in the air .I'd never have this in a house as sick of watching the circle going round and round ! It's cheap and nasty because it is !
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B4RN broadband review
by Mr x Caton Lancaster
Not happy
  • Package price
    1.5/5
  • Customer service
    1.5/5
  • Broadband speed
    2.5/5
  • Overall satisfaction
    1.0/5
Review
I had sky and swapped to B4RN there is no real speed difference it is not worth changing. They state high speeds but these so not exist in the real world.

When you contact them they are not that helpful and just dodge round the matter , I don’t expect the speeds they quote on wifi but close to 25% would be a start we are no where near this.

The people who lay the cables are vile and rude with no respect to anyone. I have even seen them park outside primary schools along the no parking zig zags endangering young childrens lifes

I have not left my name as there seems to be a lot of bullying from barn supports against anyone who speaks out against them

My opinion is B4RN is not worth the hassle

BEWARE
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  • Sam w
    Hi there I am no way affaires with barn or have barn in my home however I will be getting this when me and my gf move into my house, you will only get the 1000mbps (1gb) download speed if you plug in by Ethernet cable. However failing that you are just using Wi-Fi with no cables the speeds will be 5-10% of that using Ethernet cable. You will be looking at 50 -150mbps. I think it seems like a great product however I’ve never had it, not judging you but I hope this reply helped.
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B4RN broadband review
by Justine Tipping
B4RN is brilliant
  • Package price
    5.0/5
  • Customer service
    5/5
  • Broadband speed
    5/5
  • Overall satisfaction
    5.0/5
Review
B4RN has been brilliant for our rural community. On our new Surface pro we did get very close to the 1 gig. Before B4RN we had speeds of less than 5 and if it rained we had none. The difference is amazing.
We had work done in the house and ‘broke’ the fibre connection. Engineers were round that day to fix- BT usually took a week to come out and usually didn’t fix the problem anyway.
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B4RN broadband review
by Steve B
Brilliant B4RN - cheap, fast, reliable and sociable!
  • Package price
    5/5
  • Customer service
    4.5/5
  • Broadband speed
    5/5
  • Overall satisfaction
    5/5
Review
B4RN requires you to dig-it-yourself, which might sound like a downside but has been a great, sociable and educational experience.
It's also quite hard to know exactly when you'll get to go live - this seems to be largely dependent on when the government's voucher/subsidy schemes pay out.
The good news is that it works as well as promised, giving a 1Gbps line speed that translates into a speed test of 940Mbps in both directions.. (To be fair, download speeds can drop to around 700Mpbs at peak times, bur this is still undoubtedly plenty of bandwidth.)
At £30 per month with no need for any other line rental - and combined with the free (inbound) phone service from Sipgate - it's excellent value.
Compared to my previous VDSL offering of 15Mbps (that was regularly dropping out), it's like night and day, and I won't be going back!
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B4RN broadband review
by Chareles E
New customer - delighted
  • Package price
    5.0/5
  • Customer service
    4.5/5
  • Broadband speed
    5.0/5
  • Overall satisfaction
    5.0/5
Review
B4RN delivers excellent broadband for a very reasonable cost. I pay my £30 per month and get my gig. What more can I say.
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