07-01-2020

FULL FIBRE BROADBAND COMES TO BLACKPOOL:

FULL FIBRE BROADBAND COMES TO BLACKPOOL:

COUNCIL WORKS WITH CO-OPERATIVE NETWORK TO ROLL OUT FULL FIBRE TO BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS

Blackpool will be one of the first UK towns and cities to get full fibre gigabit broadband1 as a result of a multi-million pound investment that will deliver the fastest, most resilient broadband internet connection on the market.

Blackpool Council is part of a co-operative group from the private and public sectors, working together to roll out FIBRE BLACKPOOL a local full fibre network that will give an improved broadband internet connection to residents and businesses on the Fylde Coast.

The launch of the FIBRE BLACKPOOL initiative is a result of Blackpool Council securing £3.1m of Government funding through the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The grant has been used by Blackpool Council to expand a shared fibre infrastructure into Blackpool town centre and along the length of the coast’s tramline, from Squires Gate Lane and Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone all the way to Fleetwood and Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone, thus future-proofing the town with a full ‘fibre to the premises’ (FTTP) connection.

A Blackpool Council spokesperson said, “Over the next two years, Blackpool will unlock a state-of-the-art fibre network for the benefit of both residents and businesses as well as improving connectivity to public sector sites. The Fylde Coast, including the two Enterprise Zones and the new Conference Centre, will get some of the fastest broadband in the UK and businesses will be able to reap the benefits of fast, resilient connectivity which will support economic development and our drive to attract more inward investment into Blackpool.

“By upgrading to full fibre connections, Blackpool will be the forefront of being able to provide superior digital technology. There are an estimated 30,000 properties within range of the fibre opticinfrastructure and working with our co-operative partners, internet service providers will be able to build out the network further to individual properties and businesses.”

Connecting with Fibre Blackpool means:

  • Fast reliable performance, no more buffering watching juddery videos or waiting for hours for films and music to upload
  • Hyperfast speeds to power your bandwith hungry applications – it will handle anything you throw at it from Netflix, Office 365, gaming online, voice over telephony and payroll services
  • Competitively priced services to fulfil your individual requirements and premium services also available where a dedicated line is required

How do local residents and businesses benefit from the investment?

The Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is part of the Local Full Fibre Networks Programme which has the aim of increasing full fibre coverage across the UK. Gigabit vouchers, which are a one-off contribution to SMEs and residents, can be used by small businesses and the local communities surrounding them to contribute to the installation cost of a gigabit-capable connection.

  • Businesses can claim up to £2,500 against the cost of connection either individually or as part of a group project.
  • Residents can benefit from the scheme with a voucher worth £500 as part of a group project.

Residents and businesses can access the voucher scheme by registering their interest with one of the suppliers involved in the FIBRE BLACKPOOL scheme and who are working to deliver full fibre in the local area. The scheme is supplier-led which means suppliers will be requesting the voucher on behalf of their customers. Blackpool Council is a member of a co-operative group that can help residents and SMEs to access gigabit capable broadband services. 

What’s full fibre?

The UK has more than 94% coverage for superfast broadband with speeds of 24 megabits per second or higher (in some areas Virgin is offering up to 500 Mb). However most superfast connections rely on copper telephone wires or TV cables from a box on the street to the home or place of business, which are limited in the speeds they can support, so for the fastest and most reliable broadband delivering gigabit speeds, a full fibre connection is required. 

What’s a gigabit?

  • Gigabit broadband is an internet connection that offers speeds of 1 Gigabit per second (1Gb) or more
  •  1 Gigabit = 1,000 Megabits so it’s a big leap in connection speeds
  • A 1GB service would allow you to download a HD film in seconds
  • Full fibre services are capable of being symmetrical – meaning the download and upload speeds are the same.

For more information and to register your interest with an active supplier working to deliver full fibre services in the local area, visit FIBRE BLACKPOOL