CommScope revealed how Openreach, the United Kingdom’s (UK) largest digital network business, is building the Full Fibre network.
CommScope configured the NOVUX platform specifically for Openreach’s build program. Engineers will have access to NOVUX hardened terminals, designed to enhance health and safety with less time spent on the pole.  Site visits can be achieved in a few hours with NOVUX.

As part of the Openreach collaboration, CommScope will hire 30-50 manufacturing engineers in Rhyl, Wales. They will assemble connectorised block terminals, the fibre connection point where individual fibres connect to a premise’s main fibre cable. These can be found on top of a telephone pole or within a chamber in the ground.

Openreach is building Full Fibre faster, at lower cost and higher quality than anyone else in the UK. The technology is available to more than 4.8 million homes and businesses so far.

This partnership highlights just one of a range of innovations and techniques which Openreach uses to deliver world class build costs, whilst a major investment in 11 new regional training centres is helping to equip and skill thousands of new engineers.

Openreach can build Full Fibre to up to four million rural and urban premises a year (or c.75,000 per week, which is c.15,000 every working day) under its commercial program.

Kevin Murphy, MD for Fibre and Network Delivery at Openreach, said “Building a new broadband network across the UK is a hugely complex, nationwide engineering project – second only to HS2 in terms of investment.”

“This initiative is an important part of the UK’s future, and we’re proud to be leading the charge with Openreach on their mission to maximise billions in investment in connecting specific local areas with dedicated Full Fibre networks,” said Morgan Kurk, executive vice president, CTO, and segment leader for Broadband Networks at CommScope.

Openreach recently updated its build plans to upgrade a further three million more homes and businesses in some of the UK’s hardest-to-serve communities, meaning fewer homes and businesses will require taxpayer subsidies to upgrade.

UK Government targets to deliver gigabit capable broadband to 85 percent of UK by 2025. Openreach will build Full Fibre technology to a total of 25 million premises, including more than six million in the rural part of the country.