Fastest broadband in the UK speeds towards new Cambridgeshire housing developments

Openreach to provide ultrafast broadband to around 2,300 new homes across Cambridgeshire

Around 2,300 new homes and flats across major new housing developments in Cambridgeshire will be able to get some of the fastest broadband speeds in the UK following a deal between Openreach and housing developers.

Openreach, the business responsible for Britain’s largest phone and broadband network, is answering a call to build fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology capable of ultrafast speeds up to one Gigabit per second (Gbps) for properties on sites in locations including Cambridge, Huntingdon, Peterborough and Longstanton.

The agreements are part of an Openreach initiative agreed with the UK Government and the Home Builders Federation to connect all new UK housing developments of 30 properties or more with ultrafast fibre broadband.

As well as the schemes in Cambridgeshire, Openreach has made FTTP technology available to more than 2,000 new developments nationwide, covering more than a quarter of a million premises, since the partnership launched last year.

Kim Mears, managing director of infrastructure delivery at Openreach, said: “An ultrafast broadband network will be a major boost for these sites by ensuring that people living and working there have quick access to some of the fastest speeds available.

“It reflects our commitment to ensuring that Cambridgeshire and the UK has a first-class network, capable of delivering the latest communication services for households, businesses and other organisations.

“We know that people are passionate about the speed and reliability of the broadband service their communication provider can offer them and that, for some, the availability of ultrafast speeds will strongly influence their decision on which new property to buy.”

Craig Ferrans, technical director for the Home Builders Federation, added: “The amount consumers are doing online and at the same time, from streaming high-definition movies and TV, gaming, online shopping to using mobile devices over wireless broadband, is growing every year and this pace shows no signs of slowing. That’s why it’s great to see developers across Cambridgeshire teaming up with Openreach to provide future-proofed ultrafast full fibre access to thousands of new homes in the county. With housing supply increasing at unprecedented rates, and more people purchasing newly built homes, improving connectivity for new homes will help to accelerate the country’s digital revolution.”

As part of ambitious plans to make ultrafast broadband speeds available to 12 million homes and businesses by 2020 – Openreach will now build an FTTP network for free to all new housing developments with 30[1] or more homes. This is dependent on developers registering their site with Openreach and working together early in the building process. Openreach has promised to connect new homes within nine months of contracting with a developer.

Any developments with two or more homes will have access to the company’s existing or planned fibre infrastructure, either funded entirely by Openreach or, where necessary, with the help of co-funding from the developer.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

Cambridgeshire sites:

• Cowley Road, Cambridge – Brookgate Land
• Brampton Park, Huntingdon - Campbell Buchanan
• Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon – Redrow Homes South Midlands
• East Station Road, Peterborough – Weston Homes PLC
• Trumpington Meadows, Cambridge – Barrett Homes
• Station Road, Longstanton – Linden Homes Eastern
• Hampton Leys, Peterborough – Ian Griffin

[1]Construction of Fibre to the Premises infrastructure (the ducting, poles and wires) will be carried out for free on developments of more than 30 premises. Standard connection and ongoing service provider charges will apply and excess construction charges will continue to apply where the site is more than 4.5 kilometres from Openreach’s existing fibre network.