Openreach collaborates with STL to build new full fibre network in UK

Optical fibre manufacturer Sterlite Technologies Ltd (STL) is collaborating with UK's largest digital network business Openreach to provide optical cable solutions for a new full-fibre broadband network.

Under the partnership, Sterlite will be responsible for delivering millions of kilometres of optical fibre cable to support the build over the next three years.

This collaboration with Openreach strengthens a 14-year-old technology and supply relationship between the two compes and further reinforces STL's commitment to the UK market.

Openreach plans to take advantage of STL's cutting-edge opticonn solution - a specialised set of fibre, cable and interconnect offerings designed to drive significant performance improvements, including up to 30 per cent faster installation.

It will also help minimise the use of plastic across Openreach's new network.

"We know the network we are building can deliver a host of social and economic benefits, from boosting UK productivity to enabling more home working and fewer commuting trips but we're also trying to make this one of the greenest network builds in the world," said Managing Director of Openreach Kevin Murphy.

Openreach continues to ramp up the build rate for its full-fibre broadband programme which aims to reach 20 million homes and businesses by the mid-to-late 2020s.

"Our customised, 5G-ready optical solutions are ideally suited for Openreach's future-proof network requirements and we believe they will enable next-gen digital experiences for homes and businesses across the UK," STL's Chief Executive Officer Ankit Agarwal.

"This partnership will be a major step towards our mission of transforming billions of lives through digital networks," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )