New local fibre network launched

More than 50 representatives from local technology businesses and organisations attended the launch of the Lancaster district’s new Local Full Fibre Network to find out more about its benefits and how it will help to turbocharge the local economy.

Led by Lancaster City Council and Cooperative Network Infrastructure (CNI), the project is seeing the installation of a new optical fibre network that will provide a fibre spine of gigabit broadband capability to connect Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham.

The spine will significantly cut the costs of establishing a connection to fibre telecommunication for the district’s thriving digital businesses, opening up opportunities and promoting the development of the local digital ecosystem to attract investment.

There are also long-term benefits for the council, including significant financial savings and the ability to transform its services though innovation, along with ‘future-proofing’ connectivity to its sites and assets.

The council and CNI have worked with local companies such as Caton Road-based TNP and rural broadband pioneer B4RN to develop and install the network, many of whom attended a special launch event on Thursday (October 10).

Councillor Tim Hamilton-Cox, cabinet member with responsibility for finance and resources, said: “For any business to be able to compete in this day and age, access to fast fibre broadband is a must and I am delighted that the council has been able to work with CNI and local suppliers to develop this new infrastructure.

“Other public bodies will also be able to benefit and satisfy the ever-increasing demand for bandwidth in the provision of public services, including the NHS, police and schools. The launch heard from the NHS in Greater Manchester on how a fibre network had saved money and improved data security and accessibility.

“I also want to express my gratitude to Blackpool Borough Council for sharing the very considerable experience and expertise of Tony Doyle, their ICT manager. He has already achieved a similar roll-out of fibre infrastructure across Blackpool and Tony has been integral to design and delivery of the fibre spine across Lancaster district.”

Tony Doyle, who is also chair of CNI, added: “It’s been a privilege to work with Lancaster’s forward-thinking team, committed to being at the forefront of the digital revolution and addressing sustainability challenges.

“Together, the new fibre network and soon-to-come sustainable data centre provide a strong foundation for future growth, helping to transform public services and businesses. I’m excited to see how these assets will drive innovation in the local and regional economy.”

The next steps in the project are to provide a state-of-the-art hyper-green data centre facility centre at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, which will further enhance the network and provide the infrastructure needed to realise the benefits of new technologies for the council, businesses and the wider public sector.

Last updated: 14 October 2024