Superfast broadband work starts in Cardiff's Castle quarter
Extensive engineering work has started in the Welsh capital as part of a new Community Fibre Partnership deal jointly funded by Cardiff BID and Openreach, the digital network business responsible for the majority of Britain’s phone and broadband infrastructure.
Openreach has just begun installing Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) technology outside St. John’s Church with four new cabinets being built, which will make superfast broadband available to around 200 businesses in the Castle Quarter by March 2018.
Businesses in the Castle Quarter are currently experiencing download speeds of less than 20 megabits per second. Following the work, they will benefit from speeds of up to 80 megabits per second, allowing them to work more efficiently, create new opportunities and have a stronger connection with their customers.
Adrian Field, Executive Director for Cardiff BID, said: “From the moment Cardiff BID was proposed, it was clear that broadband was an issue high on the business agenda, which means it had been one of our top priorities. We’re delighted to be working with Openreach to bring superfast broadband to this part of the city.
“Upgrading the broadband capabilities of the Castle Quarter will have a tangible impact on businesses in the area, enabling them to operate the way you would expect from a business in the capital city. The new service could be instrumental in helping Cardiff retain businesses and attract new ones.”
Ed Hunt, Wales and West director of next generation access for Openreach, the local network business which is part of BT Group, said: “It is great to be able to work with such a proactive Business Improvement District as Cardiff BID to find a fibre broadband solution. We are working on hundreds of similar community fibre partnership programmes across the UK, which are bringing faster internet access to even more homes and businesses. Openreach is committed to making fibre broadband as widely available as possible.”
Established in November 2016, Cardiff BID covers 130 streets across the capital city stretching from Principality Stadium to Newport Road and Butetown to Cathays. Cardiff BID is one of the largest BID areas in the UK comprising over 950 levy payers and new superfast broadband is just one of the many priorities for businesses that the BID will address in their five-year term.
