Greenwich set for £2m broadband connectivity boost as 4th Utility moves in

Residents in Greenwich attended a special event designed to get more local people connected to full fibre broadband, after it was announced the area would benefit from a new £2m digital infrastructure project.

National broadband provider 4th Utility hosted the event at the Woolwich Common Community Centre, providing advice to help tenants in the area understand more about full fibre – a faster and more reliable type of broadband.

It comes following the announcement that a new 21km long, gigabit-capable full fibre network will be built around the borough of Greenwich. The plans are part of Digital Greenwich Connect, a new partnership which intends to make Greenwich one of the most digitally connected areas in the country.

Residents from area visited the community centre to hear more about 4th Utility’s installation plans and find out if they could benefit from full fibre in their homes, with download speeds that can reach up to 900Mbps.

Jane Downes, Centre Manager at Woolwich Common Community Centre, said: “We really enjoyed hearing more about full fibre broadband and the plans for a wider rollout in Greenwich from the team at 4th Utility.

“For everyday people, it’s often hard to know what phrases like ‘full fibre’ actually mean in real terms, but local residents were able to find out more and come away with some really useful information.

“Getting online is an important part of their lives, whether it be for work, social media, streaming films or even a doctor’s appointment. We want to help them have access to the best broadband there is and that’s what this event was all about.”

4th Utility has already started installing full fibre technology in the area and is also offering a special Social Tariff to help those on lower incomes get connected for less, using the event to provide more information for people.

Tony Hughes, CEO at 4th Utility, said: “We’re a fast-growing internet services provider with sites all over the UK and we’re delighted to now have a stronger presence in Greenwich.

“This event was a chance for us to meet local residents and explain more about who we are and what the benefits of ultrafast, full fibre broadband could be for them.

“As a company, we do not offer fixed contracts which is unlike the majority of other broadband companies, and our Social Tariff is currently one of the lowest broadband prices in the UK, starting from £13.99 for those that are eligible.

“We see broadband as an essential part of everyday life that everyone should benefit from – it’s no longer just a ‘nice to have’ commodity. There’s a really ambitious vision to make Greenwich better connected digitally than anywhere else in the UK and we’re excited to be part of that.”

With full fibre broadband, fibre optic cables go all the way to a home or business to provide a faster internet connections and higher download speeds. It is often referred to as fibre to the premises (FTTP) or fibre to the home (FTTH).

This is in comparison to older forms of broadband, which often rely on copper cables or telephone lines, and connections from street cabinets. This is known as fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) broadband and is only a part-fibre connection, which typically makes it much slower.

The £2m Digital Greenwich Connect infrastructure project is a joint venture between DG Cities, an innovation company set up and owned by Greenwich Council, and ITS Technology Group.