Openreach to deploy Fibre to the Home at Ebbsfleet Valley
Wednesday 07 February 2007 17:04:07 by Andrew Ferguson
The BT Group has taken a fair bit of stick over its position on Fibre To The Home, but when BT management has talked about the topic it has usually ruled out a nationwide deployment in the near future, but suggested that it may be used for green field developments. For one new housing development it appears that Fibre to the Home is to become a reality for people and businesses who will eventually move into the Ebbsfleet Valley development (near BlueWater in Kent). This development will comprise of up to 9,500 new homes, commercial offices, retail, community and leisure facilities in an area of 1000 acres.
The deal that will see fibre deployed was reached between BT Openreach, Land Securities and British Sky Broadcasting. Multiple fibre deployment to properties means that each home will be pre-enabled to receive Freeview, DAB radio and satellite-based entertainment, avoiding the need for satellite dishes. The fibre should also provide broadband services that surpass current speeds available in the UK, though until packages and prices are announced exact broadband speeds will be speculation.
The optical fibre network will be created by Openreach and will operate on a basis whereby access is available to all communications service providers, hopefully ensuring equal access to all.
Digg this
Add to del.icio.usComments
As part of her election manifesto in 1979 Margaret Thatcher promised to rewire the UK telephone network with fibre.
Don't hold your breath!
staff member)
about 1 year ago
From the website http://www.ebbsfleetvalley.co.uk/ it looks like 2008 for first phase of residential development
>>As part of her election manifesto in 1979 Margaret Thatcher promised to rewire the UK telephone network with fibre
Was that before or after she sold off BT?
staff member)
about 1 year ago
An old Guardian article provides more information on the Margaret Thatcher issue
http://business.guardian.co.uk/economicdispatch/story/0,12498,1207132,00.html
"In the mid-1980s the talk was all of wiring up every home with fibre optic cables with virtually unlimited capacity.
...
But Margaret Thatcher rejected that on the grounds that it simply extended BT's monopoly and opted instead to generate more competition for BT by establishing a cable TV industry. "
How will Openreach be ensuring open access? Unbundled fibre? Some sort of resale product? Other?
"The.. fibre network.. will operate on a basis whereby access is available to all..ensuring equal access to all."
Is it just me or is Andrew Ferguson being naive with this last statement. How can there be "access..available to all communications service providers" with "equal access to all", when BSkyB are reported to have come to an agreement on the deployment of the fibre itself?
Surely they [BSkyB] won't let anyone else offer TV/Broadband down it will they - if they've already paid/will pay to lay the infrastructure, as the story suggests?
I suspect the broadband side of it will be where the access applies and sky may have lucrative rights for subscription tv? just a complete guess tho I agree that the fact sky are involved suggests they have some kind of exclusiveness to it.
Do you know roughly when this estate and obviously the Fibre should be up and running?