Fujitsu, which is currently working alongside TalkTalk , Virgin Media and Cisco on the Open Access Wholesale Network (OAWN) project (here) that could potentially offer ultrafast 1Gbps (1000Mbps) capable broadband ISP services to 5 Million UK premises in rural areas by 2016, has finally connected the first homes to its Greasby (Wirral Peninsula) trial.

The plan is highly dependent upon government funding and BT's controversial Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product pricing, which allows Fujitsu to run its own Fibre-to-the-Home ( FTTH ) network through BT's existing underground cable ducts and overhead telegraph poles.


Work on the first 6-month trial officially began at the end of July 2011, although this marks the first time that any actual homes have been connected. Residential customers can expect to receive service speeds of 100Mbps from special packages, which will be supplied by both Virgin Media and TalkTalk .

The OAWN project is also "heavily involved" with the UK governments recently announced £2bn tender for a new national framework agreement, which aims to help bring superfast broadband (24Mbps+) ISP services to 90% of "people in each local authority area" by 2015.

However the project will find it difficult to move beyond a trial unless all of the involved parties can agree upon a fair price for BT's PIA product. This is particularly crucial as the government's Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) office has already allocated most of its £530m public funding and any delay could disadvantage OAWN's ability to bid.