100Mbps fibre broadband project for Manchester

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) broadband network is to be deployed in Manchester this year. The new, super-fast broadband infrastructure will benefit more than 500 businesses and 1000 homes, when it is completed, it was reported.

Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) will invest on the project that would cost over £1 million. Geo, the network firm will build the fibre networks that will offer up to 100Mbps speeds.

By comparison, BT’s fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) broadband can offer less speeds of 40Mbps as the FTTP networks differ from FTTC in deployment and use the fibre optic cables up to the premises of the users.

Damien Bourke, policy and partnership manager at NWDA says faster broadband services in Manchester will help the local businesses to increase their competitiveness to the market demands and also boost the regional economy.

The fibre rollout will start in the spring, choosing the Oxford Road area of the city (Corridor) as the first venue for the FTTP deployment. New network will extend and link the places in the east of Manchester on gradual phases, it was stated.

Chris Smedley, the Chief Executive of Geo said that 100Mbps speeds will help the businesses as well as home users to meet the huge bandwidth needs of the future.

“Providing speeds of 100Mbit/s helps to future proof connectivity for the applications that will be developed to harness the bandwidth that is becoming available for businesses,”

The rollout will be completed in 12 months and the internet providers in the region will buy the new product from Geo and offer the services like broadband and phone to their customers.