Retiring Pine Media AIR: thank you to the communities that made it worthwhile

Back in 2015, we launched Pine Media AIR - our fixed wireless broadband service built to bring connectivity to rural communities across Sheffield and South Yorkshire that were being left behind. At the time, many of these areas had no viable path to decent internet, and AIR gave us a way to bridge that gap while we worked towards our long-term goal of full fibre for all.

It was always intended as a stepping stone, not a destination. And over the past eleven years, we've been steadily making good on that original promise.

Over 90% now on full fibre

We're pleased to say that more than 90% of our original AIR customer base has now been migrated to our full fibre network. These customers are now enjoying the same Gigabit-capable speeds, rock-solid reliability and future-proof connectivity as the rest of our network. That transition is something we're genuinely proud of.

An honest update for the remainder

For a small number of customers, extending our fibre network to their properties hasn't been commercially viable through our standard build programme. We know that's not what anyone wants to hear, and we want to be upfront about where things stand.

Our AIR equipment is now reaching the end of its serviceable life. We're seeing increasing hardware failures and performance issues, and the reality is that maintaining an ageing wireless network is pulling resource away from our core mission of deploying fibre across Sheffield and South Yorkshire. We will continue to operate AIR for as long as we reasonably can, but we are no longer able to guarantee the level of service these customers deserve.

What affected customers can do

If you're one of the remaining AIR customers we haven't yet been able to reach with fibre, you have two options worth exploring:

• Fibre to the Premises on Demand (FTTPoD) - search your address on our website to see how far you are from our nearest fibre node and get an approximate build cost. Our FTTPoD programme lets us extend fibre directly to your property, and if neighbours sign up too, the cost comes down significantly for everyone. Many builds complete within 90 days of approval.
• Switch to an alternative provider - if FTTPoD isn't right for you, we'd encourage you to explore other options sooner rather than later, so you're not caught out if your AIR service deteriorates further.

Thank you

To every community that trusted a small, local company to connect them when nobody else would - thank you. Loxley, Bradfield, Stannington, the Hope Valley and beyond: you took a chance on us, and that early support gave us the foundation to grow into what Pine Media is today. We wouldn't be here without you.

If you have any questions about your AIR service or want to explore FTTPoD, our team is here to help - just get in touch.