H2O brings super-fast fibre through sewer system

January 23, 2016

A scheme by H2O Networks, a Newton-Le-Willows based specialist in Fibre Network deployment, is bringing super-fast broadband to UK towns by laying fibre in sewers.

H2O expects the first phase of its deployment to go live this autumn, delivering speeds of around 100Mbps to consumers’ homes in either Bournemouth, Northampton or Dundee.

Laying fibre in sewers eliminates the need to dig up road, reducing disruption and saving costs. It is also much quicker to deliver.

H2O will compete with companies such as Virgin Media, which is accelerating the rollout of its cable network to provide speeds of up to 50Mbps. The company expects to achieve this by 2017.

BT is also currently upgrading its system to fibre, and is connecting 600 homes in Ebbsfleet, Kent, with fibre from August this year. BT has also promised to provide all new-build sites in the UK with fibre connections.

However, BT hasn’t clarified its position on connecting existing homes with fibre, and is concerned about the costs of rolling out a fibre network, which could be around £15bn.

According to Antony Walker of the UK’s Broadband Stakeholder’s Group, the H20 scheme cannot bring fibre to all of Britain. It is “only a small piece of the jigsaw,” he said.

However H20 will be the first company to offer speeds of 100Mbps. Its service will be delivered via a four-inch box attached to a house or business.