London may soon benefit from surprising network growth thanks to its sewer system.
Thames Water announced a partnership with SSE Enterprise Telecoms network connectivity provider to locate the latter’s fiber optic network within the capital’s sewer pipes.
This move could mean companies located in congested areas such as Canary Wharf or the City of London will be able to benefit from faster and more reliable FTTP networks (opens in a new tab).
More reliable FTP networks
Since the Thames Water sewer network was established in much of London during the Victorian era, SEZ believes that installing the new system would be much less intrusive and less expensive than current methods, saving up to 60 percent on network deployment costs.
It would also allow an SEZ to turn on a new network ten times faster than traditional installations, and would also mean a more physically secure network that is ten meters underground, meaning it is less susceptible to flooding or other work.
SEZ says the launch was motivated in part by the recent Dark Fiber Access (DFA) ruling that competing suppliers would not be able to access BT Openreach’s existing fiber optic cables to increase competition and end-user services – meaning that Had to dream of creating new and creative ways to ensure connectivity.
“Businesses essentially rely on their network to underpin their day-to-day operations,” said Mike Magee, director of service solutions at SSE Enterprise Telecoms.
“With the ever-increasing demand for connectivity, network infrastructures require greater resilience and increased diversity. Estimates indicate that in the City of London area alone, there are as many as 3,000 companies in the financial and insurance sectors, each vying for connectivity. This makes it difficult to meet the need for unique, truly diverse network routes. We found a way to solve this problem by using the sewage network. “
The deal also means less disruption to both London citizens and the Thames Water infrastructure itself, meaning launch would meet important EU and UK guidelines.
“Our Victorian Sewers are already home to many of the pipes and cables owned by other utilities, and we are delighted to now also support SSE Enterprise Telecoms,” said Richard Hill, Thames Water’s director of real estate.
“Reducing road works and traffic congestion is extremely important to us, so it’s great to help other utilities do the same by allowing them to use our existing infrastructure.”
