81 new UK locations for Openreach G.fast footprint

Openreach is extending its G.fast broadband footprint to a further 81 locations across the UK.

The G.fast network was first announced by the company in 2015 (see BT puts G.fast at heart of its broadband strategy). It is designed to build on existing infrastructure, changing the way broadband signals are transmitted from existing street cabinets to boost speeds up to 330Mb/s, without digging up roads to install new cabling. The company says that the technology is also more reliable thanks to its use of special software that can detect and manage service-affecting issues as soon as they occur.

Openreach believes that the technology could also provide enough additional capacity to support future data demand, driven by services and applications, such as virtual reality gaming and smart homes. Amongst the 81 new locations are London, Leicester, Manchester, Worthing, Stoke, Birmingham, and Blackpool. The next phase of the build programme will take place over the next nine months, adding to more than 250 locations where the technology has already been deployed.

Kim Mears, MD for strategic infrastructure development at Openreach commented: ‘Currently, the UK is a world leader in digital infrastructure and services, but as the digital revolution rushes forwards and the demand for data continues to grow, we need to sure we stay ahead of the curve. That’s why we’re investing in faster, more reliable network infrastructure to facilitate all the activities we want to do now, and also those we haven’t even dreamt of doing in ten years’ time.’

The incumbent plans to reach a total of 5.7 million properties using Gfast, and also wants to extend its FTTP rollout to 10 million premises by the mid-2020s if the conditions are right to invest.