An innovative joint venture launched today by the 探花直播 of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire County Council is opening up new opportunities for full听fibre听networks to expand Cambridgeshire鈥檚 digital infrastructure.

This is a very exciting joint venture

Professor Ian Leslie, Chair of the Board for Light Blue Fibre

Light Blue Fibre logo 探花直播new company, Light Blue Fibre Ltd, will see the 探花直播 unite its technological expertise with the Council's ambition to deliver better digital connectivity across the city and beyond, by making both organisations鈥 extensive duct and fibre networks available on a commercial basis.

One of the first of its kind in the UK, this forward thinking initiative, will offer access to over 100km of existing ducting and dark fibre on a wholesale basis.

Light Blue Fibre aims to attract telecoms companies, infrastructure providers and local technology businesses who understand the importance of full fibre connectivity and are looking to save time and money by reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming infrastructure developments.

探花直播establishment of the company was supported at Cambridgeshire County Council鈥檚 Commercial & Investment Committee in February this year, when the go ahead was given for the development and commercialisation of the two organisations鈥 existing fibre ducting assets.

Board Members from the 探花直播 of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire County Council formally signed an agreement to create the joint venture in May 2019, and the official launch of Light Blue Fibre took place today (Thursday 11 July) at the 探花直播 of Cambridge鈥檚 historic Combination Room.

Both the 探花直播 and the Council have plans to further expand their duct and fibre assets and this pioneering collaboration will help businesses to access infrastructure that would otherwise be unavailable to them, so promoting competition and innovation.

探花直播County Council鈥檚 available fibre assets include ducting that is already incorporated into the construction听听of the Guided Busway, and will be included in all new major road, path and cycle projects following recently approved council policy to include fibre ducting during construction to extensively expand council鈥檚 network of infrastructure over the coming years.

探花直播Granta Backbone Network (GBN) is the 探花直播鈥檚 privately owned optical fibre network. Covering a large proportion of the historic city already, it radiates out to strategic locations delivering high speed, high-availability network services to colleges, institutions and research bodies linked to the 探花直播.听

Fibre Network map

Professor Ian Leslie, Chair of the Board for Light Blue Fibre, said:听鈥淭his is a very exciting joint venture. 探花直播development of Light Blue Fibre will make the existing and future ducting and fibre assets of two major networks in Cambridgeshire available for community and commercial use. It will provide local businesses, government, health and the education sector with cutting edge digital infrastructure, capable of meeting their data connectivity and communication needs for now and into the future and it gives the 探花直播 more opportunities for wider connectivity.鈥

Noelle Godfrey, Board Member for Cambridgeshire County Council, who leads the Connecting Cambridgeshire Digital Connectivity Programme, said:听鈥淐onnectivity is a vital element of the Government鈥檚 national digital strategy which provides a foundation for economic strength, thriving communities and successful localities.听

鈥淐ambridgeshire County Council and 探花直播 Information Services network team have developed a strong collaboration over a number of years of joint working to the benefit of the local community and businesses alike, and this is the next step.鈥

Margot James, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, said:听鈥淭hrough our modern Industrial Strategy we鈥檙e building a nationwide full fibre network to make the UK fit for the future.听

鈥淟ocal partnerships in Cambridgeshire are sharing resources and infrastructure in a new way to help realise this vision, bringing about a significant boost in gigabit speeds for the benefit of homes and businesses in rural areas.鈥

探花直播formation of Light Blue Fibre makes all the current and future fibre assets of the 探花直播 and the Council available on a wholesale basis, with no minimum term, providing quick and easy access.

More information can be found here:听.


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