Cambridge University has applied for a special licence from the UK Department of Trade & Industry to lay a private fibre optic telecommunications network linking about 70 sites including all the colleges. The UKP3m project would likely be undertaken in partnership with Cambridge Cable Ltd, which has been granted a cable television franchise for the university town and its surrounds. The university network will carry voice, data and video, and is intended to revolutionise teaching methods. Laying of the cable would begin next summer and be completed within a year. The special licence is needed because the network would be larger than permitted private networks and would be operated without a telecommunications company. Cambridge Cable has ratained Paine Webber & Co to raise the UKP42m it needs to build its network.
