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Builds upon existing 46 locations around Britain where cutting edge technology is already enabling trouble-free homeworking, multiple HD video streaming and instant file downloads
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Upgrade will future-proof homes and businesses for next generation technologies such as 8k TV and ‘intelligent’ connected home applications
Openreach, Britain’s national broadband infrastructure provider, today announces a boost to its better broadband build programme which will enhance Britain’s digital infrastructure and reinforce the UK’s position as the leading digital economy in the G20. 1
Openreach has extended the reach of its ultrafast broadband technology providing a faster, more stable service making it ideal for home workers and small business use, helping to boost productivity and, in turn, the UK economy.
Ultrafast broadband includes both Gfast and Fibre to the Premises (FTTP). Today’s roll-out of Gfast adds to the 46 locations where the technology is already deployed. 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 this huge investment in upgrading the network, to make sure we stay a step ahead of that demand.”
Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) roll-out
This is part of a wider programme which will also see Openreach building future-proof Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology to three million homes and businesses by the end of 2020 through its new ‘Fibre First’ programme.
Openreach has already made ultrafast broadband available to more than one and a half million premises across the UK, and has ambitions to go even further.
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 future-proofed, 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 to a further 8,000 more homes and businesses coming within reach of the new network every 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 anything from thermostats and security cameras, to door locks, lawn sprinklers, window blinds and washing machines.
People interested in upgrading their broadband to new ultrafast services can see if they’re able to connect by entering their postcode into Openreach’s online fibre checker at openreach.co.uk.
Find out more about Openreach’s ultrafast broadband work at openreach.co.uk/ultrafast.