City seeks advice on possible options for construction and ownership of connectivity infrastructure
Credit: PA
Local government chiefs in Liverpool are seeking guidance on how best to construct a citywide fibre network.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said that it wishes to install a “futureproofed fibre network” to serve the entire region.
“At this stage, the [authority] is considering all options for the funding, ownership and commercial management of the network, including the potential of a joint venture,” it added.
Liverpool wishes to engage with a range of organisations – including network providers, civil engineering specialists, and investment firms – to ascertain the options available for the network’s construction and ongoing management. The authority is inviting potential commercial partners to attend two market-engagement events, to be held in London on 30 July and Liverpool on 1 August.
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Plans to construct a citywide network were first unveiled in November. The 260km long network is intended to serve as a “digital spine to connect the city region’s key regional assets”, including the Hartree supercomputer in Daresbury in Cheshire, and the GTT transatlantic fibreoptic cable in Southport, which connects locations in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada, and the US.
A new network would also ensure that all six local authority areas in the city had access to “ultra-fast fibre broadband”, metro mayor Steve Rotheram said in November.
“We live in a digital world, where connectivity shapes every aspect of our lives,” he added. “So, with the vision and creativity here in our city region, using assets such as the Hartree supercomputer and GTT fibre optic cable, we can be sure that ultra-fast fibre broadband will bring untold opportunities for our digital future. And we will make sure that the Liverpool City Region is in the best place to make the most of those opportunities.”
