UK high capacity fibre network expanded as SSE Enterprise Telecoms announces new investment to futureproof UK business connectivity and facilitate 5G rollouts

• UK Telco is unbundling a further 259 BT Exchanges by the end of 2021 to significantly grow network, bringing total unbundled Exchanges to 550
• 100Gbps and 10Gbps services will be offered as standard from newly unbundled Exchanges
• Three UK is utilising expanded Exchange footprint to establish enhanced 4G and brand new 5G networks

LONDON, UK, September 24 2020 – SSE Enterprise Telecoms today unveils its significant network expansion programme, set to bring high capacity 100Gbps and 10Gbps services to businesses across the nation, facilitate 5G rollouts and aid in the deployment of next-gen connectivity technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

The company will nearly double its number of unbundled BT Exchanges in just over a year, enabling its customers to bring high capacity fibre services to the doorstep of approximately 80 per cent of UK business premises. These services will be available through SSE Enterprise Telecoms’ customer portal, LIVEQUOTE, which provides quoting, ordering and price comparison capabilities, via its own network and those of leading thirds parties, for business connectivity from 10Mbps to 100Gbps across the UK.

As part of the accelerated expansion programme, SSE Enterprise Telecoms, renowned for its delivery excellence and best in class deployment teams, is delivering connectivity to Three UK, with 198 exchanges already deployed, and another 259 which will be available soon. As well as working closely with Three UK, SSE Enterprise Telecoms have also worked with O2 on fibre deployments in the capital. Three UK is set to utilise the expanded exchange footprint to enhance its existing 4G and to create new 5G networks.

Classed as a critical national infrastructure project, SSE Enterprise Telecoms has maintained its delivery schedule throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. The delivery schedule has been maintained despite many enforced changes to processes and planning, such as restrictions on engineering visits and social distancing. In spite of the well documented challenges, SSE Enterprise Telecoms is still forecasting a delivery that is on schedule and on budget.

Upon completion SSE Enterprise Telecoms will have a high-capacity fibre network spanning over 30,000 km and be in prime position to facilitate the UK’s high-capacity digital first ambitions including the high-speed, performance and reach required for 5G networks. This will be key to enabling new technologies including the IIoT and autonomous vehicles, as well as opening the door to new business technologies such as seamless, instant video streaming and immersive Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.

David Molony, Principal Analyst, Omdia said:
“Omdia knows that innovation between service providers and enterprises – as well as between enterprises – will be one of the keys to success with 5G and edge computing. This expansion from SSE Enterprise Telecoms is a prime example of the kind of network needed for high capacity 5G infrastructure and goes some way to fuel the UK’s digital ambitions. This project also carries particular importance as the rest of the network industry consolidates and shares assets and potentially narrows the options for enterprise.”

Colin Sempill, Chief Executive Officer, SSE Enterprise Telecoms said:
“Our business is continuing to deliver significant network expansion, bringing high-capacity connectivity to business premises across the UK, as well as helping to facilitate 5G rollouts and futureproof the UK’s digital ambitions. Complementing this rapid growth is our LIVEQUOTE portal, which now provides businesses with instant visibility of access tail services from leading service providers, enabling them to purchase the optimal solutions for their business needs. Over the next couple of years our ambition is to provide high capacity services from at least 750 unbundled BT Exchanges, offering a plethora of cost-effective connectivity solutions nationally.”

Sarah Mills, Sector Director for Network Operators, SSE Enterprise Telecoms said:
“By significantly investing in our network and unbundling these BT Exchanges we will help the UK achieve its digital ambition to become fully 5G ready. The applications enabled by 5G technology, such as IIoT, are a core component of enabling Industry 4.0 and will pave the way for the successful future of our economy. By laying infrastructure today, we will ensure the futureproofing of our nation tomorrow. This next phase of our expansion has more aggressive scale and delivery timelines than ever before. Our vision to support UK innovation is anchored in 5G and edge computing, which supports some of the UK’s key digital strategic goals. And we’re just getting started.”

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About SSE Enterprise Telecoms
SSE Enterprise Telecoms provides class-leading connectivity and data centre services that deliver very high performance, cost efficiency and a competitive edge. The company operates a 20,000+km private telecoms network and an estate of 90 commercial data centres that span the UK. With its extensive telecoms and data centre operational expertise it offers commercial security with unrivalled in-house design and engineering resource.

Source: RealWire