Openreach adds another 35 cities to ‘fibre first’ programme

Openreach has announced a further 36 cities and towns which will be upgraded to Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband technology over the next 12 months.

As part of the ‘fibre first’ programme, 74 cities and large towns will undergo extensive upgrade programmes to ensure fibre is a realistic option for broadband services. It might have taken a while to get the UK on-board with the necessity for future-proofed broadband infrastructure, though momentum is gathering.

“We’re pressing ahead with our investment and Openreach engineers are now building in communities all over the country, keeping us on track to deliver against the bigger ambitions we set out in May,” said Clive Selley, MD of Openreach.

“The Government wants to see a nationwide full fibre network and we’re keen to lead the way in helping them achieve that. We know that if it’s going to happen, Openreach will need to be at the front doing the heavy lifting, so we’re working hard to build a commercially viable plan.”

With the continued aggressive push towards fibre broadband throughout the country, the prolonged battle between BT and Ofcom to retain control of Openreach makes much more sense. The telco fought bitterly to keep Openreach in the Group and now with enthusiasm for fibre higher than ever before it is was a justified battle, even if it did negatively impact the relationship with the regulator.

However, things are not all rosy for Openreach.

“One headwind to investment which affects all full fibre builders is business rates, and we’ve been encouraged by the Scottish Government’s move to extend rates relief north of the border,” Selley stated. “I’m convinced that prioritising investment in faster, more reliable and future proof broadband networks will prove to be a no-regrets decision for future generations.”

Complaints over regulation are of course not a new element of the telecommunications industry, though this is one which has been persistent. The industry has been promised changes, though few has been realised to date.

That said, the fibre revolution is catching. New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pushed the issue onto the front pages with a ludicrous statement of 100% fibre penetration by 2025, though momentum was gathering prior to this. Last year, at Broadband World Forum in Berlin, one panel session discussed the improved appetite from investment funds and bodies to fuel the objective. The consumer demand has been proven, therefore the money men are starting to get interested.

What is worth noting is that Openreach is not the only firm who is on the charge with fibre expansion. Virgin Media’s Project Lightening is progressing successfully, while CityFibre is leading the charge for the ‘alt-nets’ to broaden the footprint in areas which might be deemed less commercially attractive.

With ambitious Government targets pushing the fibre rollout, it is encouraging to see promises entering into reality.