Remote working has become a way of life and with lockdown keeping people at home, the demand for faster and more reliable broadband has never been greater. Ordnance Survey data is helping local firm Wight Fibre to roll out ultrafast broadband across the Island…
The added pressures of homeschooling and working from home has put further strain on existing broadband networks, largely due to the bandwidth required for video conference calls and staying connected across numerous devices. It is no surprise that there was a surge in households signing up to streaming services during lockdown as we tried to find ways to be entertained and alleviate boredom.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, stated that ‘internet access should be a basic human right’, and during lockdown it has certainly been a lifeline for many, allowing individuals and companies to adapt and carry on.
There has been a significant rise in number of regional fibre broadband companies entering the market, largely in response to the government’s pledge that everyone in Britain will have access to full-fibre broadband by 2033.
OS data is supporting 15 regional fibre broadband companies across GB to identify target locations for the roll out the network, as well as planning ongoing maintenance. OS AddressBase provides access to Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRN) to find properties and hubs that require better connectivity, with address level accuracy on multi occupancy buildings such as offices and flats.
OS Mastermap Topography allows providers access to accurate data about the changing landscape and infrastructure. This ensures that the fibre optic broadband is delivered efficiently and cost-effectively.
One company using OS data is WightFibre and by the end of 2025, its goal is to achieve almost universal coverage of the Isle of Wight with circa 70,000+ premises already identified using OS data. WightFibre full-fibre broadband is of a ‘point to point’ design which means every connected home receives its own dedicated fibre optic connection without the need to share with neighbours, and upload speeds the same as download speeds.
John Irvine, CEO of WightFibre said:
“OS data was the only reliable source of data on premise location and is fundamental to our planning activities. The detailed data provided by OS has allowed us to plan efficiently and cost effectively to maximise the number of premises we can serve. WightFibre’s full-fibre network will make the Isle of Wight one of the best-connected places in terms of both speed and the percentage of premises served.”
John Cartledge, Commercial Lead, OS said:
“OS has long history of supporting utility and telecoms customers as they understand the value our location data can bring to their operations. It’s great to see new companies accessing and using our trusted data across all parts of their business. It’s all about collaboration and our customers get accurate, address level data, with access to UPRN’s which in turn improves data sharing with third parties. This is a fast-growing sector and if you are involved in the rollout of fibre broadband and not using OS data, then get in touch to find out how we can improve operations.”
Perhaps they should consult a road expert on how to properly repair the pavements and roads after they have dug up and wrecked them.
Well said “Upton Road” is an accident waiting to happen for the elderly the pavement is in a bloody awful state, nearly as bad as the road has bedn lrgy on by the “gigibit bandits”!.
Wightfibre “installed” one of their cabinets in my street in January and have yet to bolt it down.
It would be interesting to know how many residents actually get the Wightfibre lines installed. Not many judging by the take up around Lake.
Dreadful workmanship wherever they operate on installation and the area never looks the same again. Leave most of their dust and concrete footprints behind and no action is taken when reported. They dug my telephone line up in the pavement and covered it up by twisting the incorrect wires together and burying it.
They need some supervision and a lot of training on their work and traffic management – total disruption.
Im with wightfibre and very pleased with them and now have super fast connection.
The staff are very friendly and helpful.