Openreach, the network unit of British fixed line incumbent BT, has announced that it has now made its full fiber infrastructure available to 12.5 million premises across the UK, marking the half-way point in its plan to ultimately extend coverage to 25 million homes and businesses. According to the network operator, its fibre-to-the-technology (FTTP) footprint currently encompasses: more than 20,000 medical facilities and care homes; 18,000 educational buildings; and more than 3.6 million homes in rural areas. Looking ahead, Openreach says it has added 142 more locations to its latest public build plan.
Commenting, Openreach CEO Clive Selley said: ‘From a standing start just a few years ago, we’ve now made this life-changing technology available to 12.5 million premises and counting and we’re building faster than any operator I’m aware of in Europe.’ He added: ‘Our build rate is still accelerating and it’ll take us half the time to reach our next 12.5 million. But we won’t be stopping there. Ultimately, we’ll reach up to 30 million premises by the end of the decade – unlocking a raft of economic and social benefits by supporting new models of commerce, healthcare and public services.’