UK ISP Lightspeed Broadband, which is building a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across the East of England region as part of a £300m investment (here), has today unveiled the second wave of build locations that will extend into new parts of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
The operator, which only started their deployment in April 2021, with an initial team of 100 engineers, plans to cover 100,000 homes and businesses by 2022, and after that they also hold an ambition to reach 1 million UK premises by 2025.
The work initially began in around ten locations across South Lincolnshire and West Norfolk (Boston, Bourne, Holbeach, King’s Lynn and South Wootton, Long Sutton, Market Deeping, Skegness, Sleaford, Spalding and Stamford), while the new phase extends this into parts of Suffolk and Essex, as well as some new areas around Norfolk.
Second Wave of Build Locations
Norfolk
Cromer
Dereham
Hunstanton
Sheringham
ThetfordSuffolk
StowmarketEssex
Clacton-on-Sea
Frinton-on-Sea
Maldon
Witham
The build in these new areas should get underway sometime this Autumn 2021.
Steve Haines, CEO for Lightspeed Broadband, said:
“We have been moving at ‘light speed’ to deliver our objectives to become a leading regional internet service provider and bring ultra-reliable, futureproof full fibre internet to thousands of homes and businesses across the East of England. Adding ten build locations across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex to our initial ten in South Lincolnshire and West Norfolk further strengthens our position in the region.
Working closely with stakeholders in each of our locations is very important to us and we want to be open and transparent about our next wave of locations so we can engage with local partners ahead of the build phase this Autumn.”
Lightspeed said they’re on track to connect their first customers to the new gigabit network later this Summer and existing infrastructure is being re-used where possible to speed up the process (i.e. running fibre through Openreach’s existing cable ducts – PIA), thus minimising environmental impact and reducing disruption for residents.
The provider has previously said that they’re also working alongside specialist fibre infrastructure build partners, Plancast and RCU Solutions, to support the rollout.
Some metal mounting brackets have appeared on top of some Openreach poles in Spalding.
A quick look at one.network/uk reveals they are have started and will be all over Spalding in the coming weeks.
Lightspeed have done more in 8 weeks then openreach have done in 3 years, I was quoted £357k for 150 premises, openreach community funded project.
ian
will be interesting to see how many of this 150 you refer to actually get done by lightspeed in the fullness of time (i would assume that some are way off the beaten track or require substantial civils which if that is the case will be challenging for any infrastructure provider
Terrific news, gigabit broadband would revolutionise my business in Sheringham. Been waiting for BT for too long, I wonder if BT have missed the boat or if they will bring forward their build date for the area.
Unprofessional looking bunch.
Their website has been down since Friday morning
They’ve changed the url of their website. No redirect in place though.
https://www.lightspeed.co.uk/
Yes I spotted that too, so the article above has always used the new URL.
Again another provider that’s avoiding installing in the villages of Kelvedon and Feering which are nearby to Witham and Maldon.
Crumbling Openreach infrastructure needs someone to come in with an alternative product and kick start them in to fixing/replacing the copper network.
Good news, looks like Lightspeed have a Phase 2 planned for the Witham and Maldon builds to cover some of the smaller villages in between where other providers haven’t built. Fingers crossed.