As part of its business network expansion programme, SSE Enterprise Telecoms is set to enable customers to bring high capacity fibre services to 80% of UK business premises, by nearly doubling its number of unbundled BT exchanges in just over a year.
This development will allow for connectivity up to 100Gbps across the UK, with services being available through SSE Enterprise Telecoms’s customer portal, LIVEQUOTE.
As well as increasing its BT exchanges, the scheme will also deliver further connectivity to Three UK, with 198 exchanges already deployed and another 259 on the way, which Three UK will use to enhance 4G networks, as well as create new 5G services.
In addition, SEE Enterprise Telecoms have been working with O2 on fibre deployments across London.
The scheme’s completion is set to produce a high-capacity fibre network spanning over 30,000 km, making it suitable for 5G networks, as well as further emerging technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), autonomous vehicles and, looking forward still, augmented and virtual reality.
How the IIoT can subdue cyber security challenges met by software adoption
“Our business is continuing to deliver significant network expansion, bringing high-capacity connectivity to business premises across the UK, as well as helping to facilitate 5G rollouts and futureproof the UK’s digital ambitions,” said Colin Sempill, chief executive officer of SSE Enterprise Telecoms.
“Complementing this rapid growth is our LIVEQUOTE portal, which now provides businesses with instant visibility of access tail services from leading service providers, enabling them to purchase the optimal solutions for their business needs.
“Over the next couple of years, our ambition is to provide high capacity services from at least 750 unbundled BT Exchanges, offering a plethora of cost-effective connectivity solutions nationally.”
Sarah Mills, sector director for network operators at SSE Enterprise Telecoms, commented: “By significantly investing in our network and unbundling these BT Exchanges, we will help the UK achieve its digital ambition to become fully 5G ready.
“The applications enabled by 5G technology, such as IIoT, are a core component of enabling Industry 4.0 and will pave the way for the successful future of our economy. By laying infrastructure today, we will ensure the futureproofing of our nation tomorrow.
“This next phase of our expansion has more aggressive scale and delivery timelines than ever before. Our vision to support UK innovation is anchored in 5G and edge computing, which supports some of the UK’s key digital strategic goals, and we’re just getting started.”
David Molony, principal analyst at Omdia, said: “Omdia knows that innovation between service providers and enterprises – as well as between enterprises – will be one of the keys to success with 5G and edge computing.
“This expansion from SSE Enterprise Telecoms is a prime example of the kind of network needed for high capacity 5G infrastructure and goes some way to fuel the UK’s digital ambitions. This project also carries particular importance as the rest of the network industry consolidates and shares assets and potentially narrows the options for enterprise.”
