BT network subsidiary Openreach has announced the launch of its 'fibre first programme' to upgrade UK infrastructure. The first step involves expanding the FTTP build programme by 50 percent to reach 3 million homes and businesses by end-2020.
Building work will commence within a few months in eight initial cities - London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Leeds. Openreach CEO Clive Selley said the 'fibre first programme' was about how the company thinks and is approaching the challenge of deploying a large-scale FTTP network for the UK.
Selley insisted that Openreach will build 'fibre first' wherever it can in future, including in rural areas. He added that targeting 3 million premises by end-2020 will put the company on the right trajectory to achieving its ambition of having a 10 million FTTP network footprint by the mid-2020s.
Fibre-optic network infrastructure provider CityFibre said the move by Openreach was in response to competition from CityFibre and other alternative full-fibre infrastructure builders. Technology industry group techUK welcomed Openreach's announcement, saying it hoped this would be supported by the broadband suppliers who are Openreach customers and by Ofcom.
