Bournemouth, Northampton or Dundee will be the location for the first UK town to receive super-fast broadband using a fibre connection in sewers. The company behind the technology, H2o expects to deliver speeds of 100Mbps to the chosen town from autumn 2008.
Super-fast net connections will allow consumers to receive on-demand HDTV, download DVD-quality films in minutes and take part in HD gaming services. The roll-out will begin in September and take 18 months to complete, but the service will be offered to existing homes in the chosen area, unlike the new BT fibre service, which is only available to newly-built homes in Ebbsfleet, Kent, where it is being trialled.
The UK's current ADSL infrastructure was never designed to carry data and many have called for an urgent fibre upgrade but BT has insists that, with a cost of up to £15bn to create the network, it needs to be convinced of demand and have assurances from the government that it will be able to recoup its investment.
H2o will deliver the service to individual homes via a 4in box attached to the house. The sewer-based fibre takes advantage of existing ducting meaning there is no need for expensive and disruptive road digging.
"While deploying traditional fibre over a 2km area would be six-to-12 months in the planning, we can do it in four hours," said Elfed Thomas of H2o.
Comments
Peter Cash said: Not all houses are connected to the sewer we have a septic tank I hope the cable will be metal sheathed as the rats will have a birthday with plastic
George Beale said: What an excellent idea no disruption and reaching areas like my own which have no prospect of cable connection
richard t said: Sadly those of us in rural areas with no mains drainage and far from the nearest telephone exchange will continue to wait for days for stuff to download via our crappy ASDL service
G Hickman said: Is it likely to scratch ones backside where it comes up through the toilet
greenygrog said: Look we all know that everyone wants this but where is the money going to come from to build it Us thats where They will charge us stupid amounts of money to use then never lower their prices Fair I guess but we dont get paid more and everything just keeps getting more and more expensive Come on Labour how much money was left over last year from tax etc lets use this to make our country great again
Chris Bird said: Like they say Where theres muck theres money
Neil said: High speed fibre will make you fast and regular
MALA said: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EXPERIMENT OF PIGGY-BACKING A BROADBAND SIGNAL ON THE HOUSEHOLD MAINS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Brian Allen said: What a great idea Definitely thinking outside the box All houses are connected to the sewage system and a fibre optic cable should present no obstruction problems Hopefully the trials will be successful and we can all have ultra fast broadband soon and cheap as well
john budson said: The internet will truly fly like sh off a stick
MalcolmF said: Remarkably similar to the original cable scheme about 20 years ago The sewers must have been improved
Rich said: I believe its Northampton amp not Nottingham
TopCat® ( Ray ) said: A commendable innovative quicker and cheaper way to install fibre its true but without many more of these installation companies coming on stream it will take forever to complete coverage nationwide Ventures like this would normally start in heavily populated urban areas first where financial returns will be greater As I see it the fact this company H2o states that one town Bournemouth Nottingham or Dundee will be the first could be because getting permission to use the utilities sewer networks is currently proving difficultI hope this project will spread rapidly countrywide and together with proper security safeguards and good planning bring us all belatedly into the super-fast online world