Ultrafast broadband for new housing in Motherwell
Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson yesterday (Monday) visited Openreach engineers building an ultrafast broadband network for 150 new homes in Motherwell.
The MSP heard about the next generation of broadband technology – future-proof, ‘full fibre’ services capable of carrying speeds up to 1Gbps* – and how engineers are using innovative new techniques to bring more reliable, faster broadband to rural communities.
She visited the development on land opposite the former Ravenscraig steelworks site to see how the new technology – which lets surfers download HD movies in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea – is built right in to people’s homes.
Clare Adamson said: “We are on the cusp of the 4th industrial revolution – embracing the digital age with the internet of things, big data, augmented reality and robotics.
“Our internet infrastructure is therefore a pivotal component in ensuring that Scotland keeps pace with the next phase of global human development.
“Full fibre should be considered an important part of any development and I am pleased that these Motherwell residents will now have access to the best connections as part of this upgrade.”
According to the independent website Think Broadband, more than 98 per cent of premises in North Lanarkshire are already able to connect to broadband at a speed of 30Mbps and above.
As well as its commercial investment in upgrades, Openreach has been working closely with the Scottish and UK Governments, local authorities and other partners since 2013 to bring fibre-based broadband to communities which were not included in any upgrade plans by private companies.
The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband partnership rollout has brought faster broadband to 28,300 premises in North Lanarkshire, mainly through fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTP) technology but also including small deployments of full fibre in areas where it’s the best technical solution.
The visit was hosted by James Carsley, Openreach’s fibre network programme director for Scotland, who said: “We know good, reliable broadband is really important to local people. We’re working hard on all fronts – independently and with partners – to give North Lanarkshire the connectivity it needs.
“It was great to have the chance to show Clare Adamson what’s coming next to keep her constituents connected, and outline the benefits and challenges as our engineers continue work on the ground.”
Openreach’s Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) footprint, at speeds of up to 80Mbps*, currently passes more than 2.6 million homes and business premises in Scotland. The digital network business has also ramped up plans for FTTP, aiming to reach four million homes and businesses across the UK by March 2021, and, if the conditions are right, to go significantly beyond.
ENDS
Notes to editors
*These are wholesale speeds available from Openreach to all service providers; speeds offered by service providers may vary. FTTP is capable of delivering the fastest residential broadband speeds in the UK – up to 1Gbps – fast enough to download a two hour HD movie in 25 seconds or a 45-minute HD TV programme in just five seconds.
