Openreach has published a list of 36 new locations where it intends to build Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) over the next 12 months.
The scheme follows the commitment by new Prime Minister Boris Johnson to rollout full fibre across the UK by 2025.
Already Openreach has reached more than 1.5 million homes and businesses since it first began the programme in February 2018.
Work will begin in towns and cities across the country including Newcastle, Doncaster, Chelmsford and St Albans over the coming months. Four new locations in Scotland (Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire and Bathgate, Broxburn and Whitburn in West Lothian) have been prioritised taking advantage of the Scottish Government’s decision to extend rates relief on new fibre broadband networks.
“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. 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,” said Clive Selley, Chief Executive, Openreach.
Openreach has already raised its target for full fibre connections from three to four million premises by March 2021, with an ambition to reach 15 million homes and businesses by the mid-2020s, but only if the right investment conditions are in place.
Last week, Virgin Media announced plans to offer a gigabit internet service to almost 15 million UK homes using DOCSIS 3.1 technology.
