A local internet provider has rolled out gigabit broadband to a tiny Cumbrian village.
Wireless ISP LonsdaleNET managed to upgrade the village of Melkinthrope to the superfast speeds of 1Gbps by implementing fibre to the premises.
Most of the country is still relying on fibre to the cabinet to get speeds far lower than the tiny hamlet will enjoy.
The service runs from a dedicated cable connected to a hub in Manchester.
Even greater speeds could be achieved in the future by simply changing equipment at either end of the cable, rather than having to dig up and lay a new cable.
The provider's staff will monitor the new service's performance.
Melkinthorpe resident Andy Jones told local magazine In-Cumbria that "after struggling with unreliable broadband at half a megabyte for years, it is amazing how LonsdaleNET have connected me to their network at 2,000 times what I had before."
He and his wife's work both heavily depend on internet connectivity, he told the publication, and having a super fast reliable connection would make "online tasks easier".
Jones managed to get the megafast connection after seeing the firm laying fibre broadband past his property in order to connect a wireless mast nearby.
Rory Stewart, Penrith and the Borders MP, said the project was "a local Cumbrian company proving it can achieve astonishing broadband speeds in a Cumbrian village".
"It will be a great option for many homes in Cumbria and I encourage anyone interested to explore this exciting possibility," he added.
John Robson, LonsdaleNET's business development director, said any village resident that wants fibre broadband could have it as long as it was economical to do so.
He also hinted the service might be better than what is currently being offered to other parts of the country via the Government's Broadband Delivery UK scheme.
