Residents of Caldey Island can now enjoy speeds of 30Mbps - many times the national average.
A fast 30Mbps broadband connection has been installed for some unlikely web surfers: a monks' community on a remote Welsh island.
Broadband provider the TFL Group installed the special online link for the group, who live on Caldey island off the south coast, via a communications tower on the mainland. Previously, the island could only be connected through dial-up - although now its residents are now enjoying speeds many times the national average.
The monks on Caldey are part of a strict order which demands near-silence and rising at 3am every morning for prayers. However, much of the brothers' income currently comes from their selling the goods they make - including chocolate and perfume - online, making the provision of a reliable connection a still greater boon.
Commenting on the new broadband connection, Father Daniel, a Caldey monk, said: "Patience is one of the characteristics of monastic life, but even the patience of the Brothers was tested by our slow internet…broadband access has made a huge difference to our internet usage."
He added: "We knew we needed a faster connection, but we had almost given up trying to find a workable solution which would give us an internet connection at speeds enjoyed by others on the mainland."
