Openreach looks to consult with Communications Providers on how best to improve connectivity across Britain, with emphasis on a ‘full fibre’ infrastructure.
Opeanreach have said that they will be seeking opinion on two key policies, the first being investment in a large scale full fibre network to Britain and also bringing faster broadband speeds to those areas of the country with poor connectivity.
The company is the largest telecom network provider in the UK and provides broadband infrastructure to more than 580 Communications Providers.
Clive Selley, Chief Executive of Openreach said: “We are committed to continuing our investment in the infrastructure Britain needs to support our thriving digital economy. We want to work closely with Communications Providers to explore how we do that.”
He added: “Every Communications Provider in Britain can already access our national network on equal terms and conditions and I’m convinced that providing a mechanism to explore investment opportunities confidentially will lead to stronger relationships and more teamwork in addressing the major challenges we face as an industry.”
In terms of providing the country with a full fibre network, Openreach has previously stated that it intends to introduce ultrafast speeds, over 100mbps, to 12 million homes by the end of 2020. Though the company has also stated that it is keen to explore the area of Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) as well.
Openreach is planning a consultation for FTTP as well, but it is currently in the scoping phase. The formal process for this possible area of exploration will begin this summer.
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With regard to boosting areas of the company with poor connectivity, 10mbps or less, the company has revealed that it has launched a consultation with Communications Providers to investigate an emerging technology known as Long Reach VDSL.
Long Reach VDSL has been proven to increase broadband speeds over long phone lines and could help deliver universal broadband coverage across the country.
The plane for Openreach looks promising as in the recent Digital Economy Act, the Government stated that everyone in the UK should be able to request access to a connection of at least 24mbps.
