Blackpool illumination for full-fibre broadband

Just as the resort’s famous illuminations display has been extended to provide a boost to its tourism season, Blackpool has flicked the switch on lighting up fibre broadband for businesses in the region.

Principally, in what it said is a significant network expansion across Lancashire, connectivity provider Neos Networks is set to bring high-capacity connectivity services to the area to help create a gateway between Ireland and Blackpool for hyperscalers and international businesses looking to access fibre connectivity across the UK and beyond.

The move comes on the back of trans-Atlantic subsea connectivity provider Aqua Comms approaching completion of its Dublin to Blackpool sub-sea cabling connectivity project CeltixConnect-2 (CC-2). Neos Networks is acquiring a number of sub-ducts that connect Blackpool’s landing station directly into its near 25,000km-long UK network via a 30km dark fibre pathway, creating greater capacity and routing options for the Blackpool region.

The dark fibre connection across the Irish Sea is designed to provide businesses the ability to route their traffic into and across the UK via Neos Networks’ footprint and then on into their desired European or global location. Neos regards the project as perfect for hyperscalers and large content providers looking to utilise diverse and resilient networks, as well as offer greater choice to their customers.

With connectivity backhaul into the UK telco’s network, Neos said such organisations will also have access to a single, end-to-end connectivity supplier to meet the entirety of their UK connectivity needs, reducing costly and inefficient multi-partner relationships, while facilitating a connection between trans-Atlantic routes for those with global connectivity requirements.

Neos Networks is also continuing to extend its network reach across the UK by growing its fibre core network to strategic landing stations, which it said are critical for those looking to extend from the UK into mainland Europe. The telco is also nearing completion of its network investment programme, Project Edge, which sees the business more than double its footprint by the end of the calendar year, unbundling 550 BT exchanges.

“Aqua Comms’ new CC-2 subsea cable system into Blackpool has opened up a number of exciting connectivity possibilities not just locally, but across the UK, Ireland and through to Europe,” said Neos Networks managing director for wholesale and smart infrastructure Sarah Mills.

“Extending Neos Networks’ core network as a dark fibre route via Preston into this region, enables us to offer hyperscalers direct access into the UK’s national fibre infrastructure, and into the datacentres of mainland Europe. Neos Networks will also enable digitisation for Lancashire industry as we enhance our capability to deliver enterprise-grade connectivity services to the local businesses and organisations in the area.”

Meanwhile, in the latest of a rash of deployments and service announcements, independent full-fibre platform CityFibre has announced an agreement with internet service provider Yayzi to bring gigabit speed broadband services to homes and businesses in and around Blackpool and Preston.

First customers are expected to go live in Preston in September 2021 and Blackpool in January 2022, having access to up to 1Gbps of bandwidth both downstream and upstream.