Openreach, the BT independent subsidiary responsible for fixed access network infrastructure, says it will add 3.2 million homes in rural areas to it Full Fibre roll-out plans. The company had previously pledged to reach more than 20 million homes across the UK by 2025 (see “BT to accelerate FTTP deployment plans”).
The company now says its fiber deployment plans cover rural and urban communities in 251 market towns and villages. The new target communities are in “hard to reach” areas of the UK, including East Anglia, Wales, the West Midlands, and the North West. Openreach says it will spend £12 billion on the effort. Among the benefits the company sees in bringing gigabit-capable infrastructure to these rural areas are increasing productivity, bringing people back into the work force, enabling people to work from home, and freeing people to move out of the cities.
Openreach says its fiber broadband network deployments have already passed more than 3 million homes and businesses.
"This year we’ve all seen the importance of having a decent broadband connection and at Openreach, we’re convinced that Full Fibre technology can underpin the UK’s economic recovery,” said Openreach CEO Clive Selley. “Right now, we’re building a new, ultra-reliable full-fibre network that will boost productivity, cut commuting and carbon emissions, and connect our families, public services and businesses for decades to come. It’s Ofcom’s proposals that give us the right conditions to build commercially in hardest to reach areas.
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