UK altnet Hyperoptic says it will spend £200 million ($254 million) this year to expand its fiber to the premises (FTTP) footprint. The expansion will see the open access FTTP network operator lay more than 1,500 km of fiber to connect an additional 400,000 homes and businesses across the UK.
This year’s deployments will focus on connecting a wider variety of premises. Hyperoptic initially focused on multiple dwelling units (MDUs) but will now address “terraced houses, maisonettes [self-contained two-floor flats within a larger building with their own staircases and entrances], converted houses, and detached properties” as well as new-build housing developments.
Hyperoptic currently passes more than 825,000 homes and businesses in 57 UK towns and cities with FTTP. The company serves Shepherd’s Bush, Hammersmith, and Kensington in West London and Poplar, Wapping, and Canary Wharf in East London, as well as Manchester city center and Edinburgh. FTTP deployments are underway in Maida Vale, St John’s Wood, North Kensington, Notting Hill, Shoreditch, Southwark, Bermondsey, Brixton, Liverpool city center, and Glasgow.
Next on the list are Fulham and Pimlico, Willesden Green, Holloway, Hackney, and Balham and Clapham. Peckham, Surrey Quays, Catford, Walthamstow, and Islington are expected to be part of a further deployment wave. Overall, the company expects its fiber to pass 2 million homes by the end of 2023.
To accelerate its FTTP deployments, Hyperoptic says it is leveraging Openreach’s Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) products. The PIA initiative is designed to streamline access to Openreach’s ducts and poles.
“Over the last couple of years, we have scaled the processes needed to expand our full-fiber network – ensuring we deliver a great installation and customer experience. We are very excited to continue accelerating rollout and bring future-proofed connectivity to even more communities,” commented Aurélie Canales, chief transformation and major products officer at Hyperoptic.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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