Business

Fresh £20m investment will enhance BT's ultra-fast broadband roll-out

Mairead Meyer, managing director of Networks at BT in Northern Ireland, with local BT employees Jonny Hunter, Scott Gilmore and Matthew Morrow
Mairead Meyer, managing director of Networks at BT in Northern Ireland, with local BT employees Jonny Hunter, Scott Gilmore and Matthew Morrow Mairead Meyer, managing director of Networks at BT in Northern Ireland, with local BT employees Jonny Hunter, Scott Gilmore and Matthew Morrow

TELECOMS giant BT is injecting another £20 million into its ultra-fast broadband roll-out across the north in a move it claims will enable another 140,000 business and residential premises to access the service.

And it claims the largest-ever commercial investment by a private sector company "will help accelerate Northern Ireland’s journey from a super-fast to ultra-fast nation".

The roll-out, scheduled to be completed by March 2019, will predominantly involve the deployment of fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology, which involves the provision of a fibre optic cable from the telephone exchange to a home or business.

BT says the technology is capable of providing ultra-fast broadband speeds of up to one gigabit – fast enough to download a two-hour HD movie in 25 seconds or a 45-minute long HD TV programme in just five seconds.

The investment complements current joint investment programmes BT has under way with the Stormont government, and when completed, will result in nearly a quarter of all premises in the north having access to ultra-fast broadband.

Mairead Meyer, managing director networks at BT Northern Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to be investing at this significant level, delivering against our local ambition to future-proof our Northern Ireland infrastructure and rank favourably amongst the best fibre networks in Europe.

"Through our current investment programmes, 25 per cent of homes and businesses in Northern Ireland are scheduled to have access to ultra-fast broadband within the next 18 months.

"These investments are underpinning Northern Ireland’s internet economy and society, and bringing an online experience like never before to consumers and organisations."

As part of the investment, BT will recruit 42 apprentices and graduates over the next 10 month, who’ll undertake a variety of roles in designing, planning and building the network. Recruitment begins this month and roles will be posted on bt.com/careers.

Ellvena Graham, president of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the announcement.

She said: “BT’s significant investment is a major boost to broadband connectivity and will be of substantial benefit to homes and businesses across the region. The technology will transform the way people live, work, communicate and socialise.

“In addition the recruitment of more apprentices and graduates will offer young people an excellent career path and equip them with much sought after skills.”