INGNL Look to Expand UK 300Mbps FTTH Network to New-Build Homes

The Independent Next Generation Networks Limited (INGNL) has hinted at plans to expand the reach of their carrier-neutral Next Generation Wholesale Access Network (NGANs) in order to deliver broadband speeds of 300Mbps (Megabits per second) to new-build town and urban developments that have been approved by the UK Government and local planning authorities.

It’s likely that most of you probably haven’t heard of INGNL before, which is largely because they appear to be a part of gas and related utilities provider Independent Pipelines, which tend to focus more on new-build housing etc. Apparently INGNL already has 21 NGANs in the United Kingdom that can deliver retail services to their customers and they expect to do “significantly” more of this over “the coming years“.

Thankfully we now know a little more about this work and their Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband plans because Ofcom has proposed to grant Code Powers to INGNL, which will make it easier for them to conduct street works etc.

Ofcoms Statement on INGNL

The Applicant believes that its NGANs will maximise the availability of Fibre to the Home [FTTH] technology in relation to new build housing, which it believes is necessary in order for the UK to meet the EU’s “Digital Agenda” by 2020. The Applicant adds that its networks are capable of delivering ultra-fast broadband speeds of up to 300Mbps to end-customers, which it considers to be in line with the targets set out in the Digital Agenda.

The Applicant believes that its NGANs are of benefit to the public because they will deliver “turn-key” utility services to new-build developments, providing a single point of contact for planning, design, construction and call-off. For these reasons, Ofcom considers that granting the Applicant Code powers would benefit the public.

The one downside of this approach is that such networks rarely seem able to attract the interest of the markets largest broadband ISPs, although Sky have become involved with a number of similar projects. By comparison Virgin Media prefers to do their own thing and BTOpenreach would view the network as a rival, while TalkTalk hasn’t really done much to engage the new build side of things. Not forgetting the other 100 or so consumer ISPs that tend to stick rigidly to BT and or its unbundled copper network.

Naturally we decided to dig a little deeper and noted that the company was previously called INEXUS NO. 1 LIMITED (2008) and QUADRANT LICENSE LIMITED before that. Companies House also list it as a “Non-trading company” (i.e. arguably more of an administrative division for Independent Pipelines). The consultation is due to close on 13th October 2014 and will almost certainly not face any opposition.