BT Postcode Data and the First Fibre Broadband Rollout in Warwickshire UK

The £15.47m CSW Broadband project, which aims to roll-out BT’s “fibre broadband” (FTTC/P) network to 92% of Coventry, 96% of Solihull and 91% of Warwickshire in England (overall 91% will get speeds of 24Mbps+) by spring 2016, has today revealed which communities will be the first to benefit. Postcode level coverage data is also expected to follow.

A total of around 41,000 premises (likely to reach 51k) are set to benefit as a direct result of the new investment, which is in addition to the nearly 400,000 homes and businesses in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire that will gain access to the new service as part of BT’s separate £2.5bn commercial roll-out around the United Kingdom.

The First Communities (From Spring 2014)
Alderminster
Fillongley
Henley-in-Arden
Kineton
Quinton
Long Marston
Snitterfield
Welford-on-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon
Wellesbourne

Some of the communities may already have access to BT’s up to 80Mbps capable FTTC network and in those locations Openreach will extend the reach of their network. As usual the project also promises that 100% of premises within Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire will, by completion, be able to access a minimum download speed of 2Mbps.

Alan Cockburn, Deputy leader of Warwickshire County Council, said:

“Owing to essential planning and survey work this first announcement has been a while in coming. There is a lot of work to do to roll out the network over a relatively short period and people will really see things happening quickly now.

Additionally, the CSW Broadband team has been working to develop information showing proposed coverage down to postcode level, and this will be released very shortly.”

It will be interesting to see just how detailed the proposed postcode data will be, especially given the recent Public Accounts Committee grilling of BT in which it was revealed that most or all of the BDUK contracts only required BT to supply 5 digit level postcodes (e.g. BH13 3) instead of the full 7 level (here).

Otherwise it’s noted that approximately 250 new road-side street cabinets will be installed to enable people to connect to the new fibre optic network that is being laid.