Following on from a successful project supporting Surf and one of their major customers in 2011, Surf approached Geo with a requirement to expand its fibre network to provide communication services to parent company Western Power Distribution. Connecting the two existing networks, located in the South-West and Wales to the newly acquired Midlands region, and bringing management of the entire infrastructure in-house was a crucial element in fulfilling Western Power’s business strategy.
The 270km fibre optic network deployed connects Surf’s South-West network in Tewkesbury to some of the key locations in the Midlands including Worcester, Tipton, Hinckley, Leicester and Nottingham. Geo was one of those selected from a number of vendors due to both its network location and its open access approach to dark fibre. By leasing Geo dark fibre that tracks the national gas pipeline, Surf has additional security and the ability to manage its own services across an extended geographical footprint.
“By expanding our network through Geo, Surf is able to offer a more integrated solution to both internal and external stakeholders,” said Richard Slane at Surf, adding, “We now have a network in place that provides Surf with a fantastic platform to meet the growing data demands of both new and existing customers”.
Geo’s Nick Ballard commented, “This is an exciting opportunity for both companies. Not only has it allowed Surf to maximise their existing infrastructure but it has allowed Geo to further strengthen its relationship with Surf”.