North Lincolnshire Reveals Initial Phase 2 Fibre Broadband Rollout Plan

The Northern Lincs Broadband project in England, which has already helped to make “fibre broadband” (FTTC/P) services available to 92.5% of local premises, has revealed the first tentative roll-out plan for the second contract that will cover an additional 4,000 – 5,000 properties.

Overall 27,000 additional homes and 4,000 businesses have been put within reach of the faster Internet service as part of the local authority’s first Broadband Delivery UK based contract with BT (108,000 premises if you include BT’s separate commercial deployment) and a new Superfast Extension Programme (SEP) deal has already been signed (here).

The new contract aims to further extend the service to another 4,000 – 5,000 premises (76 extra street cabinets) and is supported by funding of £1.99m, which it’s claimed should help to push the local “fibre broadband” coverage to around 97% by March 2017 (coverage of 24Mbps+ speeds will probably reach a few percentage points less than 97%). Since then a further £3.1m has been secured, which will “take superfast to over 99% of the area” (the plan for this has yet to be confirmed).

We already know (here) that some of the first communities to benefit from the second contract were likely to include parts of Barrow, Barton, Crowle, Eastoft, Manton, Garthorpe, Howsham, Keadby, Scunthorpe, Whitton and Winterton (more will be confirmed in the future) in Grimsby, Cleethorpes and the surrounding settlements.

However local reports have also picked up on a fresh batch of planning documents for new FTTC street cabinets (this may also reach properties in some surrounding streets), which appear to confirm that Brampton Way, Clee Road, Elwyn Place, Sandringham Road, Thrunscoe Road, Grimsby Road, Oxford Street and Trinity Road in Cleethorpes will benefit.

A number of New Waltham areas will also benefit, including Peaks Lane and Fieldhouse Road in Humberston. Apparently Winchester Avenue and Scartho Road in Grimsby are also on the list for new FTTC street cabinets.

The roll-out itself will begin in January 2016 and the first connections should be ready to go live by March / April 2016.