Business still at the forefront of the Lightstream revolution

Times have certainly changed at Peckhams computer shop.

A decade ago broadband speeds of around 4Mbps were the norm and the prospect of anything happening online with ultrafast efficiency was more science fiction than science fact.

But a lot has happened since 2012. In the past decade the world has seen the arrival of Netflix and Amazon, Spotify and iTunes, Teams meetings and Tik Tok – and also KCOM’s ultrafast Light stream broadband to make it all possible.

As one of the first businesses in Hull to be connected to Lightstream, Peckhams has seen its business revolutionised in the past ten years.

“It’s completely changed everything we do,” says owner Paul Rymer, who has run Peckhams for 27 years.

“To say it’s speeded everything up is an understatement. What’s possible now is a world away from what we could offer ten years ago before Lightstream. It’s a different world now and customers’ expectations have changed too – they now use their computers for far more than what they used to.

“Because everything is so much quicker it means that repairs and upgrades can now be done within an hour or two, compared to two days on the old service. The process to download drivers is super-quick – what used to take one hour is completed within two minutes.

“The improved speeds also mean I can work on three or four computers at the same time, instead of just one at a time, so productivity has gone through the roof.

As well as investing nearly £200m in the area’s fibre infrastructure, there are other benefits of having a local broadband provider on your doorstep says Paul.

“I think sometime people don’t always realise what we have got here,” he says. “When I talk to people from outside the area they’re always impressed by the speeds and stability of our broadband. And, for me, I like the fact that if I ever have an issue I can pick up the phone and talk to someone just down the road, someone who knows who I am and where I am. I’ve always had great service.

“I’ve been chuffed to bits with it to be honest – it’s been a big positive for our city.”

• For more information about Peckham’s range of computer sales and repairs services visit peckhams.com