Extending The Reach of OpenReach

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29 June 2018

Openreach has stepped up its Gfast broadband programme with 59 new locations added. This builds upon the existing 46 locations around Britain where the technology is already enabling trouble-free homeworking, video conferencing and instant file downloads.

Ultrafast broadband includes both Gfast and Fibre to the Premises (FTTP). Gfast builds on existing infrastructure, changing the way broadband signals are transmitted to make them ultrafast without the need to dig up roads and install new cabling all the way to the property.

Aberdeen, Bury, Taunton and Market Harborough are amongst 59 locations (full list below) which make up the next phase of the programme and will provide ultrafast broadband to more than 370,000 homes and businesses across the country.

Kim Mears, MD for Strategic Infrastructure Development, said: “Britons are using their home broadband connections more than ever - consuming more than double the amount of data than they did just three years ago. A mass of new Apps and services which demand higher quality broadband connections are becoming parts of our daily lives in our homes and at work – like virtual and augmented reality and more sophisticated online gaming, education and healthcare. That’s why we’re making a huge investment in upgrading the network, to make sure we stay a step ahead of that demand.”

Fibre to the Premises roll-out

This is part of a wider programme which will also see Openreach building future-proof FTTP technology to three million homes and businesses by the end of 2020 through its new ‘Fibre First’ programme. The business wants to extend this rollout to around 10 million premises by the mid-2020s and ultimately the majority of homes and businesses across Britain if there are the right conditions to invest.

Openreach will continue to focus on delivering FTTP to rural areas, in partnership with the Government, to make sure some of the hardest to reach communities in the UK get access to FTTP networks.

The company’s ‘Fibre First’ programme – where fibre optic cables are laid from the exchange right to people’s front doors is gathering pace with engineers building the network a rate of 8,000 homes and businesses each week.

Ultrafast fibre networks provide enough additional capacity to support future data hungry services and applications, such as ultra HD TV, Virtual Reality gaming and smart sensors and devices which can control things such as thermostats, security cameras, door locks, lawn sprinklers, window blinds and washing machines.

Picture: The fibre network is growing at a  rate of 8,000 homes and businesses each week.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 29 June 2018

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