The deployment will add nearly 800,000 homes and businesses to Openreach’s previously announced fibre plans. In total, the company aims to serve around two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014.
Openreach is making fibre broadband available on an open wholesale basis using a mix of fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and fibre to the premises (FTTP) technologies. Both offer speeds many times faster than those currently available to most UK homes and businesses.
FTTC, where fibre is delivered to the street cabinet, offers download speeds of up to 80Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps2. FTTP, where fibre runs all the way to homes and businesses, currently offers download speeds of 110Mbps, with 330mbps being offered shortly2.
Mike Galvin, Openreach MD Network Investment said: “This is great news for 98 communities across the UK. Our roll-out of fibre continues apace, with over 10 million homes now having access to the many benefits this technology can deliver.
“Today’s announcement brings us another important step closer towards our goal of providing this service to two-thirds of the UK by the end of 2014. We are keen to go beyond this with the help of BDUK funding and further engagement with local government and communities.”
Internet users with a fibre broadband connection can do much more online, all at the same time. A family can download a movie, watch a TV replay service, surf the net and play games online simultaneously. Chart hits can be downloaded in around two seconds, a CD in 30 seconds and a feature length HD film in 10 minutes.
Upload speeds are the fastest widely available to consumers in the UK, with large video and data files being sent almost instantly and hi-resolution photos posted online in seconds. And high quality voice and video calls mean businesses can keep in touch with customers while they cut down on travel.