Local London ’s Post

Over 150,000 premises in south and east London do not have access to high speed – Gigabit capable – internet connections. Contrary to perception, hundreds of thousands of addresses in London are affected by slow digital connectivity, causing digital inequalities that impede the lives of people and businesses. The ‘Sub-regional Digital Infrastructure Strategy’ launched today by South London Partnership & Local London includes recommendations for driving up the quality and accessibility of services in them and will help channel investment to areas of economic opportunity. Cllr Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE, Chairman of Local London and Leader of London Borough of Bexley said “We are delighted to launch the ‘Sub-regional Digital Infrastructure Strategy’ with our colleagues at South London Partnership. This provides step-by-step guidance to public sector colleagues for unlocking inward investment and maximising existing infrastructure to benefit people and businesses in the area. Along with the database and digital toolkit, this pilot approach will help all 14 boroughs tackle the digital divide, whilst also creating a legacy of learning that have even wider benefits.” Cllr Gareth Roberts, Chair, South London Partnership and Leader of London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Council commented “This joint strategy demonstrates the benefits of a cross-boundary approach. Addressing the issues at a sub-regional level, with colleagues at Local London, this strategy provides clear guidance for unlocking rapid deployment of next generation wireless infrastructure and gigabit capable full fibre, to align us with other urban areas in the UK, whilst responding to the distinct social and economic needs of each borough.” Discover more: https://lnkd.in/d4wF6FVn Commissioned by the Mayor of London’s Infrastructure Coordination Service, the Strategy and Toolkit have been developed by #LocalLondon and #SouthLondonPartnership for the boroughs of: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham London Borough of Bexley London Borough of Bromley Enfield Council Royal Borough of Greenwich London Borough of Havering London Borough of Newham London Borough of Redbridge London Borough of Waltham Forest Croydon Council London Borough of Merton Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames London Borough of Richmond upon Thames London Borough of Sutton Greater London Authority Robin Bosworth #digitalinfrastructure #inwardinvestment #digitalinclusion #broadband #gigabyte #subregion #Londonsubregions #partnershipworking #eastlondon #southlondon

UK Gov's Project Gigabit is full steam ahead! The UK Government has allocated over £1 billion in contracts to expand lightning-fast broadband to rural areas, aiming to connect approximately 677,000 homes and businesses with full fibre internet. This initiative, known as Project Gigabit, addresses the digital divide by providing faster and more reliable broadband to areas that would otherwise miss out on industry advancements.   Six new contracts worth over £450 million have been announced, enabling suppliers to commence detailed surveying work immediately. CityFibre will deliver five of these contracts, covering rural communities in Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Sussex, Kent, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Milton Keynes. Connexin, a Hull-based supplier, has been awarded a contract to upgrade premises in Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire.   Full fibre internet, capable of delivering speeds up to 1,000 megabits per second, is set to revolutionise connectivity in these areas, supporting economic growth, job creation, and long-term development. With gigabit speeds, households can download a high-definition film in under one minute and seamlessly stream entertainment across multiple devices simultaneously.    The UK's rapid deployment of gigabit networks, facilitated by government initiatives to promote competition and remove barriers to rollout, has significantly increased coverage. Gigabit internet now reaches 80% of the UK, with plans to achieve 85% coverage by 2025. #fullfibrerevolution #projectgigabit #kntc #groundbreakingengineering https://lnkd.in/eQRs8V7X

South Gloucestershire, Surrey and West Berks to benefit from faster rural broadband 🌐🎉 Hundreds of thousands of rural homes and businesses with outdated broadband infrastructure are to receive major internet speed upgrades. Up to £800 million in government investment will be made available to modernise broadband infrastructure in rural areas of England, Scotland and Wales. The deal will provide access to lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband to around 312,000 homes and businesses across Great Britain. The landmark deal with telecoms provider Openreach represents one of the biggest milestones in the rollout of Project Gigabit, which targets places too expensive for providers to reach in their commercial build and which would otherwise be left behind with poor digital infrastructure. It will help meet the growing demand for reliable connectivity, stimulating local rural economies and reducing regional disparities, by enabling remote working and attracting new businesses. Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle said... Continue reading... https://lnkd.in/dzY2uks9 #network #technology #innovation #national #infrastructure #engineering #businessnews #businessintelligence

Work begins on project gigabit rollout to 45,000 hard to reach homes across Cambridgeshire. CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, has begun work to connect almost 45,000 hard to reach premises in Cambridgeshire as part of the government’s £5bn Project Gigabit programme. Construction has now started following extensive planning and design work, with the first locations in the county to benefit from the new digital infrastructure including Fen Ditton, Grantchester and Milton. CityFibre will also be connecting a further 170,000 homes across Cambridgeshire as it aligns its nationwide rollout with the Project Gigabit programme. The Cambridgeshire rollout - made possible through £69 million government investment - is the first of nine Project Gigabit delivery contracts secured by CityFibre since March 2022 with rollouts spanning Suffolk, Norfolk, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Sussex, Kent, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire & Milton Keynes. These represent over £782m in government subsidies and unlocks almost £1.2bn in combined public and private investment in rural broadband. “As some of the first in the country to benefit from the Government's £5bn programme of investment in new lightning-fast connectivity, I'm pleased that the first households and businesses in South East Cambridgeshire will shortly be able to access services and reap the benefits of this brand-new network. Gigabit will also be coming very shortly to Milton and Landbeach.”... Full fibre networks use 100% fibre optic technology to carry data at light speed all the way to the home or business, offering near limitless bandwidth and reliable connectivity. #FibreOptics #FibreOpticInstallations #AxisTech #Axis_Technical https://ow.ly/ROop50QJ0MV

Work begins on project gigabit rollout to 45,000 hard to reach homes across Cambridgeshire. CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, has begun work to connect almost 45,000 hard to reach premises in Cambridgeshire as part of the government’s £5bn Project Gigabit programme. Construction has now started following extensive planning and design work, with the first locations in the county to benefit from the new digital infrastructure including Fen Ditton, Grantchester and Milton. CityFibre will also be connecting a further 170,000 homes across Cambridgeshire as it aligns its nationwide rollout with the Project Gigabit programme. The Cambridgeshire rollout - made possible through £69 million government investment - is the first of nine Project Gigabit delivery contracts secured by CityFibre since March 2022 with rollouts spanning Suffolk, Norfolk, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Sussex, Kent, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire & Milton Keynes. These represent over £782m in government subsidies and unlocks almost £1.2bn in combined public and private investment in rural broadband. “As some of the first in the country to benefit from the Government's £5bn programme of investment in new lightning-fast connectivity, I'm pleased that the first households and businesses in South East Cambridgeshire will shortly be able to access services and reap the benefits of this brand-new network. Gigabit will also be coming very shortly to Milton and Landbeach.”... Full fibre networks use 100% fibre optic technology to carry data at light speed all the way to the home or business, offering near limitless bandwidth and reliable connectivity. #FibreOptics #FibreOpticInstallations #AxisTech #Axis_Technical https://ow.ly/VGlu50QJ0MW

UK Data Centre Market forecast to reach 3.5GW by 2028 The UK data centre market is experiencing a boom in infrastructure investment with the build and the launch of new facilities. This new report features details of more than 270 facilities and projects located across 70 cities. Merger and acquisition activity has been brisk in the past 3 years, and the report identifies details of 28 deals concluded. The report also records more than new build projects in progress or planned, with expansion plans announced by nearly all of the larger UK players. Approximately half of all current and planned facilities remain in London, with significant investments in the west and east of the city capital. Although increased investment has been recorded in Manchester, the closest to an emerging hub, and the surrounding area, with existing facilities and new build, it still represents only 2.8% of total power on the basis of current plans. Wales is close to this figure but Scotland and Northern Ireland record very low numbers in digital infrastructure and power resources. “Our research finds that providers have invested in locations in the Slough area outside London, and new hyperscale developments are acquiring land in the Essex area,” commented Margrit Sessions, report author and managing director of Datacentrepricing.com. “Although the Scottish Government has identified around 20 potential data centre sites, the country is lagging in the overall development of facilities compared to England and Wales.”   The report reveals plans for roll out of infrastructure over the next two years but suggests that by 2028 the UK data centre market could more than double in MW power reaching around 3.5GW. However it suggests these values are likely to change again once the scale of power investment is revealed for hyperscale projects particularly Google and Microsoft. The Mega projects still undergoing planning permission include Reef Group (Havering) with a 600MW plan and the Humber Technology Park (384MW) which could change the landscape further. With ~60% of built facilities at 4MW and below, there is significant scope to build Edge networks across the country. Overall the UK market appears resilient in development compared to its European neighbours but distribution of sites and power remains imbalanced across the four nations.  Purchase report - https://lnkd.in/gjaCZbSy #DigitalInfrastructure #Investment #Finance #PrivateEquity #Funds #Alts #Markets #MandA #Datacenter #DatacenterInfrastructure #Edge #Hyperscale #AI #Colocation #Property #Land #RealEstate #Leasing #SiteSelection #Law #Regulatory #Power #Energy #Conversations #Platform #UK #Scotland #Wales #NorthernIreland #Manchester #Welcome

Wales to Benefit for First Time from £800m Programme to Roll Out Lightning-Fast Broadband https://ift.tt/TD8diLs Wales is set to benefit for the first time from a programme to provide lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband to rural businesses and homes. Around £170 million in UK Government investment will be made available to deliver top-of-the-range ‘gigabit-capable’ broadband for around 70,000 hard-to-reach premises in Wales, as figures show it records the lowest levels of gigabit connectivity in Great Britain. It will apply to some of the most remote parts of the country from the South Wales Valleys to the Llyn Peninsula. It is the first UK Government contract under Project Gigabit to boost connection in Wales, which had until now not benefitted from the support. The deal, which is part of a wider UK Government plan which will make up to £800 million available to deliver gigabit connection across Great Britain, is set to provide lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband to Welsh communities that would otherwise be left behind with poor digital infrastructure. The UK Government says it will help meet the growing demand for reliable connectivity, stimulating local rural economies and reducing regional disparities, by enabling remote working and attract new businesses. The landmark deal with telecoms provider Openreach represents one of the biggest milestones in the rollout of Project Gigabit, which targets places too expensive for providers to reach in their commercial build and which would otherwise be left behind with poor digital infrastructure. It is designed to help meet the growing demand for reliable connectivity, stimulating local rural economies and reducing regional disparities by enabling remote working and attracting new businesses. Contracts worth £288 million have already been signed with Openreach under the agreement to connect approximately 96,600 homes and businesses in England and, for the first time, Wales. Areas to benefit include and North West, Mid and South East Wales, as well as some English regions. Talks are now underway with Openreach to agree further contracts to benefit around 215,800 more premises across Wales, England and Scotland, with more announcements expected in the coming months. Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle said: “The signing of this major contract with Openreach ensures we are on track to achieve full gigabit coverage by 2030. “Robust digital infrastructure is vital for competitiveness, productivity and growth, and we are committed to delivering for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, focusing particularly on areas that have been left behind, such as Wales.” The UK Government said the announcement would also improve learning opportunities for students, who will be able to gain better access to online resources and remote learning platforms, as well as healthcare patients, who will be able to further rely on remote consultations. Minister...

Check out this brilliant thought piece from my colleague John Steward on digital infrastructure and policy, and why it’s not always a hot topic of conversation at parties 🥳 😁

Embracing Open-Access Infrastructure is a Game-Changer for Connectivity. I am seeing the potential of open-access infrastructure in revolutionizing our digital landscape. Here's why: 1. Future-Proofing New Builds: All new infrastructure projects should prioritize open-access principles, ensuring wider reach and scalability. 2. Cellular Network Innovation: The open-access model shows tremendous promise in cellular networks, particularly through the mobile network operator (MNO) approach. 3. Empowering Local Governance: This model enables local and regional governments to own and operate wholesale cellular networks alongside broadband infrastructure. 4. Bridging the Digital Divide: By combining cellular and broadband capabilities, we can create more comprehensive and accessible connectivity solutions for communities. 5. Fostering Competition and Innovation: Open-access infrastructure encourages a more diverse ecosystem of service providers, potentially leading to better services and lower end-user costs. Let's discuss the possibilities: !#OpenAccess #DigitalInfrastructure #ConnectivityInnovation #SmartCities

Our first #CTAPrague roundtable discusses the impact of the Gigabit Infrastructure Act. Last year, the UK already introduced laws requiring newly built homes in England to have capacity for gigabit connectivity. 👉 https://lnkd.in/d-UUt2kz #connectivity