Gigabit Britain: Will the UK achieve its fibre optic rollout target?
The UK Government hopes to rollout ‘Gigabit Broadband’ nationwide by 2030. But is it a realistic target? With innovative solutions such as Sirocco HD and 96f ULW cables already available from Prysmian, yes, it is.
What is it Gigabit Broadband and why is it important? Gigabit Broadband is defined as any technology that can deliver download speeds of at least 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). 1 Gbps is equal to 1000 Mbps. This means that at 1 Gbps, an entire HD film can be downloaded in under a minute. These speeds are only possible, typically, in locations with fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP).
Therefore, it is important to ensure the UK doesn’t fall behind in terms of meeting our fibre optic rollout targets. Originally the government set a target of delivering gigabit broadband across the UK by 2025. That has since been revised, and they are now aiming to reach 85% of the country by 2025 instead. This would then leave the remaining 15% to be completed by 2030. This target is possible to achieve with the right fibre optic cable systems.
How Prysmian is helping to speed up the gigabit rollout
Prysmian Group already has the technology and solutions available to help accelerate the gigabit rollout. Two prime examples are the Sirocco microduct cables and the 96f ULW cable – both are designed and engineered to make fibre installations quicker, easier and more sustainable. Both innovative products are available on the market and offer the perfect solution for fibre optic installers.
Aerial Fibre Optical Cables
Prysmian Group offers an extensive range of aerial fibre optic cables focusing on the need for high reliability while helping to reduce the cost installation. The cables are available in a wide mix of fibre counts, fibre types and mechanical constructions depending on the specific application.
The Prysmian 96f Optical Aerial Drop Cable (ULW) is a multi-unit optical drop 200µm Singlemode G.657.A2 ultra light weight cable designed for aerial and/or duct applications. It is suitable for use under 11kV power cables. The dense nature of the single cable means that deployment is faster and more sustainable. It also contributes to a reduction in the annual Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) costs.
Sirocco microduct cables
Sirocco High Density cables provide world record diameters and fibre densities for blown microduct cables. Sirocco HD cables feature fibre densities of up to 11.5 fibres per mm2, making it possible to offer increased fibre count cables for standard microduct sizes. They also benefit from Prysmian PicoTube technology, which makes cables up to 20% smaller than previous versions.
This makes it possible to install more fibres into a congested duct space and enable the use of smaller ducts for new installations. This results in lower installation costs and the use of less raw materials. Not only does it benefit the total cost of network deployment, but it also improves the environmental footprint.
Sirocco HD cables utilize Prysmian’s BendBright-A2 200µm single-mode (ITU-T G.657.A2) bend insensitive fibre, which is ideal for supporting FTTx / 5G rollouts. The cables are available in fibre counts from 96 to 864 and conform to international standards for optical and mechanical performance. It is a future-proof solution that’s ready for evolved systems.
“With their extreme fibre count and reduced diameter, Sirocco HD microduct cables make installation faster, more cost effective, and more sustainable by reducing the impact on carbon footprint,” said Ian Griffiths, Global R&D VP – Telecom Business. “Designed for installation into microducts, they are perfectly fit for blowing in high density access networks, such as FTTx and 5G networks.”
Connecting Colchester
The 552 Sirocco HD fibre cable provided the perfect solution to make Colchester one of the best-connected in the UK. The aim of the project was to install a highly reliable broadband service with upstream and downstream speeds of up to 1Gbps – this needed a highly effective cabling system.
“The target was to reach 7000 people with a new super-fast fibre system, inserted into the existing duct system, which was built mainly to operate CCTV cameras around the area,” said Colm Coyle, managing director of Rio IT and designer of the installation. “They only require a relative handful of fibres. For this task, we were going to have to squeeze around 500 individual fibres into a 16mm diameter duct, which means we actually only had 9-11mm of space inside the tube.
“The 552 Sirocco HD fibre cable is awesome. It’s really easy to handle and about a quarter of the weight of other fibre cables of a similar capacity. Truly an outstanding piece of engineering.”
Read more about the Colchester connectivity project.
In short, Prysmian Group already has the products that will help the UK achieve its ambitious rollout plans and has done for some years now. The Sirocco HD and 96f ULW cables offer fibre optic cable installers faster, more reliable, quality solutions that will help accelerate the fibre optic rollout and deliver gigabit broadband across the UK. That is why you should choose Prysmian.
Prysmian Telecoms: Linking the future
From optical fibre and copper cables to connectivity components and accessories; we’re helping to link communities, continents and countries faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Our global presence, combined with our experts’ regional knowledge, means we’re uniquely placed to support the needs of every customer: from manufacturing high-performance and cost-effective data cables within tight lead times, to offering specialised network solutions which enable high-speed connectivity in the core network, within datacentres, or at the edge. And of course, our optical fibre technology sets us apart from our competitors.
Find out more about Prysmian Telecom products and solutions.