UK’s Suffolk County taps MLL Telecom, CityFibre for gigabit fiber broadband network

Feb. 11, 2019
UK managed network services provider MLL Telecom says it has received a 20-year contract from the Suffolk County Council for a WAN extension project that will see connection of more than 600 public sector sites for provision of gigabit broadband services. As part of this initiative, MLL will partner with fiber to the premises (FTTP) builder and operator CityFibre to install, operate, and own a 114-km dark fiber backbone network across 10 county towns to enable connect to more than 300 of the targeted public sector sites.

UK managed network services provider MLL Telecom says it has received a 20-year contract from the Suffolk County Council for a WAN extension project that will see connection of more than 600 public sector sites for provision of gigabit broadband services. As part of this initiative, MLL will partner with fiber to the premises (FTTP) builder and operator CityFibre to install, operate, and own a 114-km dark fiber backbone network across 10 county towns to enable connect to more than 300 of the targeted public sector sites.

The fiber-optic network expansion project launched in January. CityFibre has begun the planning process to connect its 10 towns, which include Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft, Haverhill, Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Sudbury, Stowmarket, Mildenhall and Newmarket. The Suffolk County Council will fund the project via a £5.9 million award from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of the third wave of its Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) Challenge Fund.

“Through this new 114-km fiber network, our councils, NHS clinics, fire stations, and more will be able to access leading-edge connectivity, which will have a real economic and social impact in the region,” said Chris Bally, deputy chief executive at Suffolk County Council. “Better, more reliable internet access for our public services will bring untold benefits – like more investment, more jobs, and more businesses. We couldn’t be happier to get this work underway, and to welcome the next generation of public service delivery.”

The fiber network expansion is the latest step MLL has taken with the Suffolk County Council, with whom the company has worked since 2012 (see "Zhone helps MLL Telecom connect 600 public sector sites in Suffolk, England"). MLL says its approach to the WAN, redesign of the core network, and restructure of the dark fiber network will set the stage to evolve toward a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) approach that will enable a self-orchestrated network infrastructure that enables customer self-service portals.

For related articles, visit the FTTx Topic Center.

For more information on FTTx technology and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher

Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.

Contact Stephen to discuss:

  • Contributing editorial material to the Web site or digital magazine
  • The direction of a digital magazine issue, staff-written article, or event
  • Lightwave editorial attendance at industry events
  • Arranging a visit to Lightwave's offices
  • Coverage of announcements
  • General questions of an editorial nature

Sponsored Recommendations

Transforming the metro network and the evolution of the "Digital Service Provider"

March 4, 2025
Join experts at EXFO and Ekinops in this webinar that will review the evolving metro-centric requirements and the technologies emerging to meet them.

Unveiling the Synergy Between AI and Optical Networking

March 12, 2025
Join us for an engaging discussion with industry experts on the intersection of AI and optics. Moderated by Sean Buckley, editor-in-chief of Lightwave+BTR, this panel will explore...

Innovations Optical Transceivers

March 10, 2025
The continual movement around artificial intelligence (AI) cluster environments is driving new sales of optical transceiver sales and the adoption of linear pluggable optics (...

ON TOPIC: Filling Coverage Gaps, Enhancing Public Safety

Jan. 30, 2025
With the ongoing drive to support AI and the need for high-speed data center interconnection, the call for higher-speed 800G optical technology is emerging. Initially focused ...