ITS Build of New Full Fibre Network Begins in Scunthorpe UK

The North Lincolnshire Council (NLC) has announced that UK network operator ITS Technology have begun construction work on a new gigabit-capable “full fibre” broadband network in the industrial town of Scunthorpe, which will be used to meet the demand for fast internet connections by the local business community.

The announcement doesn’t include much information, such as how much the work will cost or where the funding has come from, but it does state that the new network will run from Scunthorpe Post Office, then through the town centre and, finally, out towards the Foxhills Industrial Estate.

On top of that it will be completed at an astonishing speed, by around mid-March 2021, which is because the operator plans to re-use a fair bit of existing infrastructure (e.g. cable ducts) and that means less of a need for disruptive street works. Assuming all goes well then it’s hoped that this could be “the start of a much wider network in the region.”

Details of the business broadband and leased line prices for this network can be found on the https://www.northlincs-internet.co.uk website. For example, the entry-level 25Mbps (5Mbps) upload package costs a fairly hefty £58.50 ex. VAT per month and prices go up to £107.10 for a 200Mbps (40Mbps) package. The faster leased line (Ethernet) options are of course more expensive than that.

Cllr Rob Waltham, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said:

“I’m delighted that ITS is investing in a new full fibre network which will support business growth in Scunthorpe.

There is no doubt that fibre networks are the future of modern economies and this new investment will help the whole of North Lincolnshire in its economic growth.

This also shows a confidence in North Lincolnshire as a place to invest – a competitive marketplace is a good market place, North Lincolnshire is attracting companies from across the UK and further afield.”

Daren Baythorpe, CEO of ITS, said:

“I am excited to develop our Scunthorpe network and as part of our Faster Britain UK network the town will feel the benefits of full fibre.

Being part of our programme ensures that Scunthorpe exceeds the Government’s goals for everyone in the UK to have access to gigabit-capable connectivity by 2025.

As the legacy copper-based network becomes obsolete and we move towards its switch off, our mission is to deliver full fibre, gigabit-capable connectivity to where it is needed.

The pandemic has highlighted just how vital a fast internet connection is to enable people to continue to keep in touch, particularly when circumstances are keeping us apart. Faster Britain is fixing the problem around gigabit capable connectivity which isn’t available to everyone.”

However, ITS will face some competition from Virgin Media’s existing Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) network, which is also a gigabit-capable network and currently covers the vast majority of premises within the town. Openreach also have a few tiny patches of FTTP, although they’ve yet to make any major deployments in the area.