Some 150 businesses based on the Sci-Tech Daresbury site have become the first to benefit from a new 212km full fibre broadband and Ethernet network called LCR Connect, which is being built as part of a £30m project backed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, ITS Technology and NGE.
Work on the new “resilient fibre backhaul network“, which connects into three transatlantic cables and major economic clusters in each of the Liverpool City Region’s six local authority areas (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral), officially got underway in early 2021 (here) and is expected to complete by the end of 2023. But the first sites are already starting to go live.
By connecting to LCR Connect‘s scalable fibre infrastructure, Sci-Tech Daresbury has not only immediately doubled its connectivity bandwidth for existing tenants, but it now has the inbuilt flexibility to upgrade its resilient, multi-gigabit connections at very short notice, which will support growth as the campus continues to develop.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“The past few years have shown just how important good quality digital connectivity has become in every aspect of our lives – nowhere more so than in business.
Any successful, ambitious economy requires the modern, thriving infrastructure that will help it to keep pace in an ever-changing world. LCR Connect is a game-changer for our region, offering businesses access to the fastest internet speeds in the country, boosting productivity, and creating thousands of jobs and training opportunities in the process.
I want our region to be known as the most digitally connected place in the country to grow a business. Thanks to the investments we’re making now, we’re already on our way to achieving that ambition – and it’s great to see world-leading organisations like Sci-Tech Daresbury joining us on that journey.”
Claire Delahunty, LCR Connect Ambassador at ITS Technology, said:
“Connecting Sci-Tech Daresbury to LCR Connect is a significant milestone for the rollout of this digital highway across the six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region.
By delivering a diverse network, LCR Connect’s rich fibre has ensured that the businesses on this national science and innovation campus can rely on their connectivity, whether that’s as simple as accessing emails, through to sharing complex data. Futureproof gigabit-capable services are also a vital factor in attracting new businesses, creating more opportunities, and ensuring future prosperity.”
More than 30% of the network is said to have already been built, while the rest is due to complete by the aforementioned deadline, next year. It’s previously been predicted that “100% full fibre coverage across the Liverpool City Region, building on the backhaul network, could be worth £1 billion,” but that would take longer to complete and rely upon more commercial investment from network operators and ISPs.
This is the kind of investment into Digital infrastructure this country needs. The UK has talented people living up and down the entire country. On the surface its this kind of investment and what comes with this kind of connectivity which will actually help propel Britan into the 21st century and beyond. The digital divide needs to be eradicated this sounds like whats required to close the gap whilst in the process enhance interconnects, build resilience, provide world class locations for data center’s and digital hubs to help foster the current & next generations who are to follow.
I’m not surprised you got confused, but Daresbury is not in ‘Liverpool’ (first line of the article), it’s actually in Cheshire. It is in the Liverpool city region though – quite a big difference – but understandably confusing