Surf's up in Cornwall as BT announce fibre-optic broadband plans

The county of Cornwall are set to get a broadband infrastructure boost, as BT outline plans to roll out their fibre-optic network to the area.

90% of Cornish homes will be able to get high-speed connections by the end of the program, which is expected to take 4 years to complete at a cost of £132 million. £78 million of the funding will come from BT’s own coffers, whilst the EU’s European Regional Development Fund will cough up the remaining £52 million.

The announcement follows communication minister Ed Vaizey’s desire to make the UK a European broadband network leader by the middle of the decade. “The government wants the UK to have the best broadband network in Europe by 2015, so today’s announcement is a big step towards that goal,” he said.

Two different fibre optic technologies will be used in Cornwall, both fibre-to-the-home technology (FTTH) and the slightly slower fibre-to-the-cabinet technology (FTTC) which makes use of existing copper wiring.

If successful, the roll-out will be used as a blueprint for other rural area network expansions from BT.

Via: BBC