MAY 14, 2010 -- Fibrecity Holdings, an i3 Group company, has announced the next Fibrecity networks on its road map. The expansion will result in more than 1 million homes and businesses being connected to Fibrecity’s fiber-optic network over the next four years. The networks will deliver standard speeds of 100 Mbps and boosts of up to 1 Gbps through what Fibrecity touts as the largest fiber to the home (FTTH) initiative in the UK.
Fibrecity networks are planned for Derby, Halton, Nottingham, Plymouth, and York, with a target to begin roll out within the next 12 months. Further cities under consideration for Fibrecity networks include Belfast, Aberdeen, Ipswich, and Bristol. Fibrecity Holdings and Birmingham City Council are also in initial discussions for the construction of Fibrecity Birmingham.
These cities are in addition to the Fibrecity networks already underway in Bournemouth and Dundee. More than 35,000 homes have already signed up to be connected in Bournemouth alone, the company asserts.
The FTTH open network architectures leverage the Fibrecity gateway, an open access platform that connects service providers to customers. Opencity Media, an i3 Group company, has developed the Fibrecity gateway to serve as a virtual market place that offers consumer choice by allowing multiple service providers to offer and deliver services over a single Fibrecity network connection.
Said Elfed Thomas, CEO of i3 Group, “Today marks another significant step forward in our quest to bring open next-generation Internet connectivity to homes across the UK. We have developed a unique model that offers consumers more choice than has ever been available before in two ways. Firstly, Fibrecity Holdings is building the only large scale fiber to the home network in the UK that includes existing properties and not just new builds. Secondly, Opencity Media has developed a platform for multiple service providers to offer their services to homes connected to the Fibrecity network.”
The company also recently announced its expansion into the United States (see "UK infrastructure provider i3 Group establishes subsidiary in North America").