UK ISP Glide Group, which is busy extending their full fibre broadband network (leased lines and FTTP etc.), has announced that they’re upgrading more of their “legacy network” kit in BT exchanges across the country to “improve hardware, reduce electricity consumption and enable their network to support [10-100Gbps speeds]“.
Glide is currently focused on the deployment of their Dark Fibre network across the UK, which meant they needed to ensure their hardware in other parts of the network could “empower end users with these [10-100Gbps speeds] when necessary.”
Working closely with its network architects, the provider said they recently identified BT exchanges comprised of legacy technology from its previous acquisitions of ISPs Cablecom and Warwicknet, with the intention of “replacing the energy hungry and limiting router kits“.
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Glides actually started this process a while ago and their upgrades have been carried out across the South coast, Bristol, the midlands, and up north to places like Newcastle and Edinburgh since last year.
Lee Jones, Network Architect at Glide, said:
“As technology continues to evolve, it is critical for network architects to ensure that the infrastructure can keep up with the changing demands of today’s digital world. Replacing routers in BT exchanges is a necessary step to not only improve bandwidth capabilities and increase system features but also to drive energy efficiencies and support sustainability efforts for a greener future.
As the UK’s residents and businesses demand for ever-increasing bandwidth, it is essential that we continue to improve our network infrastructure to be gigabit or even terabit capable. By doing so, we can ensure that we not only meet the demands of our customers but also do so in a sustainable way by utilising less energy intense technology.”
The ISP noted that they’re currently seeing an annual increase of circa 15% on network demand, which sounds about normal.
“the provider said they recently identified BT exchanges comprised of legacy technology from its previous acquisitions”
Wow, how could the business have no clue what infrastructure they have? Not exactly encouraging news to their customers.
Any detail of what they are now replacing it with?
They now replacing legacy technology from its previous acquisitions with improved hardware to reduce electricity consumption and enable their network to support 10-100Gbps speeds.
Copy and pasting their goal from the original article doesn’t answer what they are actually replacing it with…
I don’t think they are going to reveal this. They might even have multiple vendors in multiple places.
I joined Glide when it was Waricknet as our then new build estate had no FTTC provision. We did well to get 10/2.
Fortunately there was an industrial estate across the road and as I recall Waricknet focused upon FTTC/FTTP provision to industrial estates.
Although they did not advertise it neighbours discovered that they would provide FTTC to our homes.
It was expensive £60 pm but was rock solid and fast 80/20. I ALWAYS got these speeds.
In 4 years I had maybe 2 down times.