ISP Grain Connect Build 1Gbps Fibre for Perry Barr in Birmingham

UK ISP Grain Connect has announced a new agreement with the Birmingham City Council (West Midlands), which will see them rollout a “hyperfast” gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across the future Perry Barr Residential Scheme (i.e. a development of 1,400 new build homes and apartments).

The scheme is a £496m council-led new build project that will hopefully also “act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the wider Perry Barr area.” Construction works, at the former Birmingham City University campus, are understood to have commenced in May 2019 and should be completed in early 2022. After that the first residents are then expected to begin occupying properties from early 2023.

As part of this development Grain Connect has been contracted to design, install and operate an independent “full-fibre” network, as well as a phone network, to provide symmetrical speeds of up to 1Gbps to all of the new homes on the Perry Barr Residential Scheme.

Grain Connect has been deploying similar networks in other communities for several years. Prices for residential services tend to start at £25 per month for an unlimited 50Mbps connection and this rises to £55 for 1000Mbps (add +£5 per month if you want a phone service).

Richard Robinson, MD of Grain Connect, said:

“We’re delighted to have been selected to partner with Birmingham City Council as the first provider of hyperfast broadband to the Perry Barr Residential Scheme. Grain Connect is focused on delivering the highest quality of service for communities across the UK, offering broadband connectivity via fibre-optic cables directly to the router from the moment owners turn the key to their new home. We look forward to being a part of the project from the start and as the development continues to take shape.”

Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, added:

“As welcome as the new homes delivered by the Perry Barr Residential Scheme will be, we must also focus on the infrastructure and communities that we are creating. It is vital that our communities have access to the highest quality broadband service. Grain Connect has proven its ability to deliver hyperfast broadband networks across the UK, and we’re delighted to appoint them to support this project.”

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