Fujitsu, Virgin, TalkTalk plan new fibre broadband network

Fujitsu announced plans to co-operate with TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Cisco to bring next-generation, fibre broadband services to 5 million homes and businesses in rural Britain. The collaboration, which will see Fujitsu build a new, fibre-optic broadband network, will provide an alternative to BT Openreach. The Fujitsu open access wholesale network will be based on Cisco technology. TalkTalk and Virgin plan to access wholesale products via this network to provide customers in remote areas of the UK with retail next-generation broadband services. The network will also be open to other service providers on wholesale terms. In the vast majority of areas, Fujitsu will run fibre-optic cabling directly to the home (FTTH), rather than to the local street cabinet. As a result, the Fujitsu network will be 1 Gbps symmetric capable from launch with the potential to reach up to 10 Gbps and higher. The collaboration will actively support the involvement of local community broadband groups. The plans rely on Ofcom's proposals for BT Openreach to provide access to its underground ducts and telegraph poles on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett said that its involvement in the project reflected Virgin's continued drive to change the UK's digital evolution. TalkTalk Group CEO Dido Harding said that high-speed internet access must not become the preserve of the few and that Fujitsu's investment would stimulate competition and allow providers to deliver affordable products to the widest possible range of families and small businesses in all parts of the UK.