Posted on
More from News
Openreach has announced its project to deliver full fibre broadband to every home and business in Northern Ireland is proceeding at pace, with more than half of premises in the country now able to access this technology.
The milestone of 50 per cent coverage was reached towards the end of September and means that 420,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland are now connected to the provider's full fibre network, with an additional 3,500 premises a week being added to the figures - the equivalent of 22 every hour.
Director of Openreach in Northern Ireland Mairead Meyer said she is "very proud" that her team has helped the country rank as the most digitally-connected region of the UK, and well on track to meet a target of 100 per cent full fibre coverage by 2025.
"The full fibre network is about setting Northern Ireland up for success today and in the future," she continued. "It will be transformational, providing a consistent and fast service to connect families, businesses and public services in the region and will be a platform for economic growth for the region."
Ms Meyer also observed how recent changes in many people's lifestyles have highlighted the need for better connectivity. For instance she noted that video conferencing platform Zoom now has over 770,000 active users per day in the UK, while one in five people have bought groceries online in the past month.
Some 750 engineers have been involved in the project so far and more will be needed to help ensure the pace does not slow down in the coming months as Openreach moves towards its next target of reaching 60 per cent of homes by March 2021.
Their efforts were also praised by Openreach chief executive Clive Selley, who said: "It is their dedication, expertise and desire to consistently deliver the best results for our customers that has ensured that the region is getting the digital infrastructure it needs to drive growth and stay ahead."
