Britain’s biggest house-builder, Barratt Developments, has today announced that they’re working with network providers Openreach (BT), Virgin Media and Hyperoptic to ensure that “gigabit-capable” FTTP broadband ISP infrastructure is “installed as standard” across all of their new UK build developments.
At present Barratt claims to build around c.15,000 new homes every year and thus all of those will now come provided with “full fibre” broadband services as standard. The use of Ofcom’s regulated Cable Duct & Pole Access (DPA) solution also means that rival gigabit networks and ISPs, such as Virgin Media and Hyperoptic, will be better able able to serve the same premises as Openreach.
The new partnership separately supports OR’s existing commitment, which offers Fibre-to-the-Premises infrastructure “free of charge” to new housing development sites of 20+ properties (and reduced rates for smaller sites where developers make a contribution towards the build). Some 93% of all plots contracted with Openreach are now getting FTTP (e.g. 100% of plots on sites of 20+ homes and 41% of plots on smaller 2-19 premises sites).
Overall, Openreach currently builds FTTP to new build homes at a rate of over 200,000 every year (c. 4,000 new connections every week) and this in turn supports BT Group’s main goal, which is to cover 4.5 million premises by March 2021 (current build rate of c.40,000 per week), then 5.8m come September 2021 and 20m by around 2025-30 (costing c.£12bn). A max build rate of 3 million per year is envisaged.
Meanwhile Virgin Media are also continuing to expand their FTTP network too and Hyperoptic has an ambition to cover 5 million premises by 2024. Developments like this can only help those goals.
Read the full story at ISPReview.
