Broadband

Sky chief customer officer Chaz Savage said feedback from the trial, which began on 4 December, proved it was on the right track.

"It's exciting to see our project take shape as we roll out customer trials with the support of a great partner like Vocus. We've been working together to develop and provide a solution which means New Zealanders can access all the entertainment they want at speeds and service levels they need, and we're looking forward to creating more value for our customers through Sky Broadband."

Her DIY solution to a neighbour's internet connectivity problems in 2009 has evolved into B4RN, an internet service provider offering fast one gigabit per second broadband speeds to the parishes which nestle in the picturesque Lune Valley.

That is 35 times faster than the 28.9 Mbps average UK speed internet connection according to Ofcom.

It all began when the trees which separated Chris's neighbouring farm from its nearest wireless mast - their only connection to the internet, provided by Lancaster University - grew too tall.