Blackpool's potential to be tech hub grows after fast fibre network is completed

The town is leading the UK in its roll-out of Local Full Fibre Network programmes designed to transform its digital communications network, with help from a Lancaster company.

Blackpool completed the work just two years after the award of £3.1m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – getting a head start over other towns through the council’s strategic partnership with Lancaster-based digital network specialists TNP.

Coun Mark Smith, Blackpool Council, cabinet member for business enterprise and job creation said: “The completion of our full fibre network is a major milestone in the digital transformation of Blackpool and delivers huge advantages in supporting large and small existing businesses and attracting new employment to the town.

“This will become even more important over the coming months and years as our town swings into recovery from Covid-19.”

Lancaster-based TNP (The Networking People) has worked with Blackpool since 2012 and laid the foundations for a new digital integrated-hybrid network infrastructure owned by Blackpool Council.

A comprehensive “dark fibre” network created through partnership with TNP spans the town centre and the 20km coastal tramway from the southern boundary to the northern end of the coast and the neighbouring authority of Wyre Council at Fleetwood.

All of the council’s building and locations (including schools) are connected and other public sector bodies on the coast including Wyre Council can now connect more of their public building and assets.

A co-operative commercial arrangement also brings high speed, high capacity broadband opportunities to organisations, businesses and 140,000 residents. Full Fibre to Premises is a key factor in attracting new businesses in the town’s two enterprise zones at Blackpool Airport and Hillhouse.

Combined with the transatlantic connectivity enabling high speed data speeds to New York via sub-sea fibre infrastructure connecting America and Europe, including the North Atlantic Loop which came ashore next to the tramway in October 2020.

Fibre speed and capacity is now said to rival the huge mainland UK data centre hubs serving London.

Read also: Super-fast undersea cable to provide third of all world's internet lands in Blackpool.Blackpool Gazette: Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here