UK residents may get their third pipe: via the sewer

Right of ways to the last mile have been the largest barrier to new access. The UK’s H2O networks thinks they have a work around through the sewers. The sewers do interconnect every building in most cities, and the addition of a few cables probably won’t impact their proper function.

It’s always been hard to argue with the logic. Sewers are deep underground where cable would be protected from clumsy drilling. They also run into the heart of virtually every building in Britain.

Best of all, they were dug in the 19th century when Irish labour was cheap, and planning and safety restrictions were lax. You’ve just got to buy cable that the rats can’t gnaw into.

It all works in theory, and Merseyside-based H2O Networks says it’s finally cracked the practical stuff. The good burghers of either Bournemouth, Dundee or Northampton will be first to ride the 100Mbit/s wave with fibre to their homes with plans to complete the first of three “Fibrecity” deployments within three years.

The final decision on who’ll get the maiden rollout is set for April and will be made by whichever council gets its works permissions sorted first, according to H20 Networks managing director Elfred Thomas. Engineers should be on the ground in September, and work will be completed in 18 months to two years, he said. The 100Mbit/s figure is claimed as a minimum. (from The Register)

As a side note, we are seeing a common thread in the world marketplace for what constitutes next gen broadband, and it is in the 100MBPS ball park. AT&T in particular should be paying attention.