5 million 1Gbps fibre optic broadband connections headed to UK homes thanks to Fujitsu

Fujitsu are setting in motion plans to bring fibre-optic broadband to 5 million UK homes, through new partnerships with Virgin Media, TalkTalk and Cisco.

The network, set to hit speeds of 1Gbps, will be funded in part by the UK Government’s £530 million budget for bringing high-speed broadband to rural areas. Cisco will be offering up their networking technology alongside Fujitsu for the venture, with Virgin Media and TalkTalk looking to tap into the network to expand their own fibre-optic offerings.

In many cases, the plan is to run cabling direct to users homes (FTTH), rather than to a local exchange first, which potentially means the network is scalable up to speeds of 10Gbps.

Communication Minister Ed Vaizey sang the praises of the proposed network plans:

“Superfast broadband is already helping businesses grow and improving the lives of those able to access it. But many rural and hard to reach areas are missing out. The whole of the UK should be able to share in the benefits of broadband and we are determined to make that happen by the end of the Parliament. That is why the Government is investing over £500m in taking superfast broadband to everyone.

“I am delighted that Fujitsu along with Virgin Media, TalkTalk and Cisco share the Government’s vision. Creating this superfast broadband network will help improve the economic and social prospects of the homes and businesses where high-speed internet access remains just a dream.”