Openreach announced in 2023 that they were going to roll out gigabit-capable fibre-to-the-premises, or FTTP broadband to Redditch. This was to be part of a £15 billion UK rollout that added 10 new areas to their deployment plan. 124,000 homes across Wales, Scotland and England were to benefit, with the rollout already covering over 10 million premises. With 62,000 premises covered per week, and up to 4 million premises per year, it’s Openreach’s goal to reach 80% of the UK by 2026. Openreach’s website is continually being updated to reflect the changes, including an interactive map and the latest build plan.
Source: Pexels
Update on Redditch’s Project Gigabit Rollout
The good news is that Gigabit fibre is now available in 54.96% of the premises across Redditch. Gigabit fibre is capable of reaching speeds of 1 Gbps, or faster. For reference, ultrafast broadband is only capable of reaching speeds of up to 300 Mbps. Currently, 97.53% of premises have Superfast broadband, with 54.96% experiencing Gigabit speeds through the fibre rollout.
Broadband is critical to the area, with residents using it to work from home, watch shows on Netflix or play games such as Betfair Spin Till You Win online. With games like this using high-end technology, HD graphics and 3D animations, a strong internet connection ensures that gamers have a seamless experience without lag or long loading times. Even live roulette games benefit, due to higher streaming quality across the board.
Those who have Netflix, or Amazon Prime will also find that they can stream 4K movies and shows much faster, with improved quality and zero buffering. It’s not just the entertainment sector that is set to benefit either, as those who work from home will find that they can connect multiple devices to the network simultaneously while downloading large files and attending group video conferences. Even though only 54.96% of residents are getting access to the increased speeds through fibre, it’s evident that it’s already having an impact on the area, with speeds effectively doubling for a lot of residents.
Source: Pexels
Premises Unserved by Full Fibre Broadband
Not every premise will be able to access full-fibre. Some are not able to connect to the network due to being in a rural area, or a hard-to-reach location. Openreach’s commercial rollout will see up to 20% of premises unserved, but an alternative network is going to be implemented to ensure that nobody is left behind.
For premises that do not have any gigabit connectivity, the Government’s Project Gigabit is going to fill the gap. BT may even scoop up some related contracts going forward, to ensure that residents of Redditch are not left without a solid and stable internet connection.
So far, Worcestershire overall has exceeded 80% coverage and looks to meet the government’s target by 2025. In the city, the total coverage stands at 80.48%, with the national average being 78.88%. Worcestershire County Council has the ambitious target of achieving 90% coverage by 2027, which could be good news for residents of Redditch, in terms of total coverage.
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