Mesh Broadband 'ceases trading'

Bedfordshire Council 'disappointed'

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in Telecoms, 14th April 2005 10:06 GMT

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Wireless broadband outfit Mesh Broadband has "ceased trading", according to a notice issued by Bedfordshire County Council (BCC).

Southend-on-Sea-based Mesh - which was a sub-contractor for Cable & Wireless - had been working with BCC to bring broadband to rural areas within the county using wireless technology. The project was backed with funding by the East of England Development Agency.

But in a statement a disappointed BCC said that it "has been advised that Mesh Broadband, the delivery company behind Bedfordshire on Broadband has ceased trading".

"At this time we have no information regarding the reasons for the company's failure," it said.

No one from BCC was available for comment at the time of writing but the council is keen to hold talks with C&W to "get the best result for existing customers of Bedfordshire on Broadband, including support of existing customers and completion of the remaining Bedfordshire on Broadband network".

A spokesman for C&W is looking into the matter.

As for Mesh Broadband, no one was available there either, although a message on its phone line said: "At the moment support is being transferred to another company. As a result of this exercise the network is currently unsupported."

In December, Mesh Broadband pulled the plug on its Cambridge wireless broadband network. It had acquired this network 12 months earlier after snapping up wireless broadband operator Invisible Networks (IN) which went titsup.

At the time Mesh Broadband said it has decided to ditch the "old" network because it wasn't up to the job and was never going to make any money for the firm. Instead, Mesh said it was looking to build a new wireless network in the area targeting ADSL black spots. ®