The project is linked with local telecommunications firm:- aql, who plan to roll out connectivity throughout the city’s business district. aql’s resources offer neighbouring businesses internet speeds of up to 100 megabit per second, at least 10 times faster than the national average.
The mobile messaging and communications specialists aql, operate several ‘exchange’ sites around the UK, including a fibre network between Leeds and London. aql has installed a local fibre from its Leeds sites into strategic points, such as multi tenanted offices, which allows Leeds based businesses to access data and internet services at accessible and affordable speeds.
The service is currently exclusive to The Calls area, birthplace of internet pioneers Freeserve and popular amongst the city’s media and marketing agencies including, VTR whom are amongst the first businesses to trial the service.
VTR North is a specialist post production and editing suite that requires high speed media connectivity to London based companies. They agreed to a trial that would run a fibre network with gigabit capacity, directly into the building from a major hub only a few hundred metres away. Since the trial VTR have experiencing a range of benefits including sending and receiving files at jaw dropping speeds.
Carl Waters, Managing Director of VTR, summarises the productivity the benefits of the high speed fibre, “We can now upload 40 commercials in an hour to our London based partners as opposed to 45 minutes per commercial. Unlike some of the regional initiatives which have been set up to achieve this, our connection is delivered to our desktop and allows us to access every media company in the country.”
Since the trial aql says there has been a growing number of businesses looking to install the high speed cables and gain the benefits of the service. aql are planning to expand their network throughout other areas of Leeds city centre thorough 2010.
Adam Beaumont, Managing director of aql commented “This model allows many businesses to get a head start on their competitors, reaping the advantages of high-speed-working long before the delivery of the Digital Britain promise. Smart businesses already realise the advantages of not waiting for their mail to download or for a file to transfer.”