Broadband upgrade for thousands in Barnet

Openreach engineers have started work to build a new, gigabit-capable broadband network for Barnet – giving local people access to some of the fastest, most reliable broadband anywhere in Europe.

The once-in-a-generation, Full Fibre broadband upgrade will let thousands of local people and businesses connect multiple devices at gigabit-capable speeds and help businesses to trade online and compete for decades to come.  It will include around 8,000 flats and apartments owned by Barnet Homes in the Borough and is part of Openreach’s £15 billion commercial investment in upgrading the UK’s telecommunications network.

Elaine Hope, Openreach’s Partnership Director for London said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Barnet Council on this significant broadband upgrade.

“Working together is a crucial step in making sure that residents across the borough have access to some of the best broadband available anywhere in the UK. The support from the council has been instrumental in making this happen.

“This is a major infrastructure upgrade, so you will see more of our engineers, vans and equipment out and about.  Wherever possible, we’ll use our existing network of ducts and poles to avoid roadworks, new street furniture and disturbance. But there may be places where we need to install new poles or underground ducts because it’s the only way to make sure as many premises as possible are included in the upgrade.”

“Switching to Full Fibre is easy and may even be cheaper than your existing broadband package but it’s important to remember that upgrades don’t happen automatically. People need to contact, and place orders through, their broadband service provider to take advantage.”

The new technology is more reliable, more resilient and future-proof; with fewer faults; predictable, consistent speeds and enough capacity to easily meet growing data demands.

Once up and running, Barnet residents will be able to enjoy a host of online services such as seamless streaming, and smooth online gaming experiences. While businesses can operate with certainty that their broadband will support the day-to-day, business critical tasks such as video calls, banking and customer interaction via social media platforms.

Local people can visit openreach.co.uk/ultrafastfullfibre to register for updates and, as the build progresses, check their addresses to see when services are available from their chosen provider.

Openreach’s new Full Fibre network in London now reaches 1.75 million homes and businesses with more than £525 million having already been invested and build continuing across the capital.

You can find out more about the benefits of an upgrade to Full Fibre broadband here.