News

Low fibre means high speed data in motion; interred in sewers!

They're not just going through the motions; they're really going to install high-speed fibre broadband links under our streets ...

High speed internet becomes fundamental this year with Urband, which will be the first network in the UK to be deployed through sewers, enabling "minimum dig" construction.

This is a joint venture by London Water and 186k, the telecoms business of Lattice Group. Already, phase one of the build is complete, a 25km ring that connects the Docklands area; and phase two has begun.

The entire network is due for completion by the end of 2002 and will cover the major commercial centres in London from the Docklands and City to the West End, Victoria, Hammersmith and Westminster.

In an announcement today, Roger Wilson, Chief Executive of Urband, said: "London is one of the world's major business centres, but its communications infrastructure currently falls far short of providing the capacity that businesses really need. Despite extensive digging since telecoms liberalisation began, BT's legacy network remains, for many businesses, the only option for true 'last mile' access in the capital."

Wilson claims to be able to provide network access to major businesses in London with a 90% ‘no dig' deployment strategy with a core network designed to pass within 50 meters of 50% of target buildings. The objective is to reach in excess of 8,000 buildings in London.