Having just got back from holiday (first time to Croatia, fantastic place and time!) it’s time to take (a bit of) stock and think about what’s next for all of our work on next generation access (NGA) digital infrastructure. For the past few months we’ve been ploughing ahead with the Corridor project, more about that later, and waiting to see what might happen with regional funding for a much bigger project which could start rolling out NGA across Greater Manchester. Now that regional funding is ……facing problems (polite term) we are actively looking at alternative and more innovative business models that could find other ways of finding the investment needs to start building an advanced fibre to the premises (FTTP) network across the city region. Now that Metrolink is going to be developed in full, which is great news, there must be opportunities to roll out NGA alongside the new and refurbished tracks. So we are hoping to go “TFON” (you heard it here first), creating a “Tramside Fibre Open Network” which could provide the core of a city-region-wide digital development zone, creating a world class transformational digital infrastructure, with three main objectives:

1. To safeguard, support and further the Manchester city region’s position as a globally important centre for digital industries in Europe by promoting the development locally of the next wave of digital applications and services that rely on a modern digital infrastructure;
2. To promote the use of new transformational digital applications and services among the city region’s businesses and citizens, with resulting benefits for business efficiency and social inclusion;
3. To enable improved quality and improved efficiency in the delivery of public sector services in the city region.

More on that story later (too)!

Jackie Potter, chief executive, Corridor Manchester said: “The installation of the new fibre optic cables will create a new infrastructure on the Corridor that will not only deliver much faster broadband speeds but through the open access network allow organisations, businesses and even individuals develop and test their own ideas for uses of the new technology without being held back by current limitations.”

The most immediate impact for people living and working on the Corridor will be much faster broadband capacity of 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) and more, critically, for both download and upload uses.  Users will be able to buy services from different service providers on the network providing internet access, TV, telephone and other data services too, as the new network will be genuinely “open access” allowing all service providers to lease the optical fibre from Geo to provide services to their customers.  There is also potential for services and applications to be made available for free without having to go through an internet service provider.

The Corridor network project is managed by MDDA and funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).  Once the first phase of fibre installation is completed, it is already planned to expand the fibre optic network to east Manchester and elsewhere in the city by using both the existing and planned Metrolink lines.

Damien Bourke, policy & partnership manager for NWDA, said: “This is the first step on a journey to help make Manchester an increasingly competitive international city – a city in which businesses can find new and sustainable markets which in turn will help drive the regional economy. What better place to start this process than the Oxford Road area, where next generation fibre broadband will only generate further wealth from the people, ideas and innovation that make the Corridor a unique place to do business.”

Geo was awarded the contract in December 2009 following a successful tender to deliver the first phase of the fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network in partnership with Manchester City Council (through MDDA).  The initial phase will provide connectivity to 200 homes and businesses around the Corridor area of Manchester.

Geo is expected to start the first phase of network deployment in the spring.  Further connections directly to 1500 homes and businesses, will be phased over the next 12 months.

Chris Smedley, chief executive, Geo said: “Geo is delighted to be working with Corridor Manchester and the MDDA to deliver this important infrastructure. Creating a true open access network with next generation fibre broadband capable of fully symmetrical world – leading broadband services will radically change the way people use the internet for business and social use.  Geo’s unique business model is ideally suited to helping the UK to meet the challenge of building the new networks needed for the country to compete on the global stage and we are proud to be associated with this landmark initiative.

Update:

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