Latos Data Centre to Spread Gigabit Broadband into Tees Valley

The recently incorporated Latos Data Centre has revealed that it plans to “improve digital infrastructure” in the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) by providing “homes, SMEs and enterprises” with gigabit capable broadband connections.

The plan was revealed as part of the company’s request for Code Powers from Ofcom, which are often sought to help speed-up deployments of new fibre optic infrastructure and cut costs, not least by reducing the number of licenses needed for street works. It can also be used to facilitate access to run new fibre via Openreach’s existing ducts and telegraph poles (PIA).

As part of this, Latos said they aimed to build a new “backbone network of new telecommunications infrastructure” and would offer their gigabit connections to UK ISPs, such as those “who would otherwise not have been able to offer ultrafast access to potential customers in the area.” This sounds very much like a wholesale solution.

The proposed network is said to include a “large number of premises, most of which are not currently eligible for fibre to the premises [FTTP] connections, and fibre to the cabinet [FTTC / VDSL2] is only available in limited areas. Upon completion, connection access will be provided to national operators (and potentially local ISPs) to allow for better connectivity in the TVCA area.”

At present we’re not sure whether to treat the Latos Data Centre as an alternative broadband network (AltNet) provider in its own right or a data centre, since the description appears to straddle both areas. Due to this, we won’t be adding Latos to our Summary of Full Fibre Builders until we know more, since that table is more consumer facing and excludes Dark Fibre and Enterprise style operators (e.g. Zayo, Neos).

The company itself was incorporated on 22nd December 2021 with £1,000 worth of shares and its sole Director is named as Michael Gerard Carlin. The initial shareholdings are split between MATTHEW PAUL DAVISON (£250) and GREENS VALLEY INVESTMENTS LTD (£750), which are both based at the same address as the company in Cleveland (TS18 3FB).