H2O Networks, of Merseyside UK, have got an interesting idea for providing high speed Internet access to homes and businesses – by running fibre optic cables through the sewer.
This apparently initially grubby idea isn’t new – we first wrote about the concept back in December 2001, when a company called CityNet was talking about the idea (we notice that their Website has disappeared in the intervening time).
It’s good to see that it’s actually happening in the UK.
Rather than digging up the roads to get the fibre in the ground, they use the sewer as a ready-made duct, a method that they claim is at least 80 per cent faster than traditional methods.
They’ve already done this to some degree in two UK cities, Bournemouth and Dundee, that they’ve labelled fibre cities.
H2O Networks hope that when the fibre is installed they will be able to offer an alternative network to that of the big boys like BT.
Unlike most telecom companies, H2O Networks are willing to share spare fibre capacity with other electronic communications service providers.
They’ve requested OfCom to have the Electronic Communications Code applied to them. In short, this will give them the ability to more easily place their fibre optics in the ground.
Anything that brings competition to the broadband market, which is so heavily dominated by such a small number of players, can only be good for the country.
This is nothing new, Geo Networks of London already have a network in the sewers and have been using this since the late 2006, is nothing new !!!!!!!
Agree with you Sewerfibre … that’s why we pointed out that we first wrote about it in 2001.
Good to know that it’s been installed in London. Feel free to get in touch with us to tell us about it.