Hundreds of Slough businesses to get super-fast broadband boost through “largest ever” deal
Partnership will make high speed technology available to 450 local firms
BT and SEGRO, a property investment and development company, today announced plans to bring super-fast fibre broadband to hundreds of small businesses on the Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire.
The project will be the largest privately-funded scheme of its kind in the UK for BT’s local network business, Openreach. It will result in a further 450 companies gaining access to fibre broadband across the business park.
Work on the project has already begun, with 14 new fibre broadband cabinets being installed in time for the summer of 2014. The new cabinets will offer businesses in the park’s specific targeted areas download speeds of up to 80Mbps and upstream speeds of up to 20Mbps.
Gareth Osborn, SEGRO business unit director, said: “It’s fantastic news that BT is bringing super-fast broadband to our Enterprise Quarter. The Slough Trading Estate is already home to a huge number of small companies and start-ups, and faster, reliable broadband will make it even easier for ambitious businesses to make the most of the internet and all the opportunities super-fast connectivity brings.
“We believe we have not only the largest, but the most vibrant and innovative business locations in Europe with the very best talent, and this added boost to broadband speeds will be a welcome addition for our small enterprises. We believe it will reflect positively on the wider Thames Valley regional economy too.”
Peter Cowen, BT regional partnership director for the South East, said: “We’re pleased to announce this deal as part of our continuing commitment to bring fibre broadband to as many small businesses as possible, as swiftly as possible. SEGRO have shown tremendous foresight, vision and commitment by developing this partnership to bring the technology to their stable of businesses. Without such a partnership approach this investment would not have been commercial viable.
“Fast and sophisticated connections are the cornerstone of a successful business community. They provide a platform for innovation and jobs, whilst recent research has also shown they can help businesses to further boost sales and save money. We hope to develop many more partnerships with business parks like this, so that other small businesses across the UK can benefit in the same way.”
Businesses with a fibre broadband connection can do much more online, saving time and money thanks to the faster speeds and innovative services that the technology enables. High-quality voice and video calls mean businesses can keep in touch with customers while they cut down on travel. The technology can also enhance the competitiveness of local firms, speeding up the way they do business and giving them access to cost-saving ‘cloud computing’ services.
There are currently around 45,000 homes and businesses that have access to fibre broadband in Slough. This equates to around 94 per cent of total premises in the area. For further information on Openreach’s fibre broadband programme visit www.superfast-openreach.co.uk
For further information please contact the BT Regional Press Office on 0800 085 0660. All our news releases can be found at www.btplc.com/news
About SEGRO:
SEGRO is a leading owner, asset manager and developer of modern warehousing, light industrial and data centre properties, with £4.7 billion of assets (including joint ventures at Group share, as at 30 June 2013) principally concentrated in London's Western Corridor (including the Thames Valley) and in key conurbations in France, Germany and Poland. We also own offices and more specialised buildings in the Thames Valley, Brussels and Milan and smaller industrial property investments in Belgium, The Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
The Group serves over 1,400 customers spread across a diverse range of industry sectors. It has 5.2 million sq m of built space and a passing rent roll of £311 million (as at 30 June 2013). For further information see: www.SEGRO.com.
