Openreach engineer installing gfast technologyThe latest ultrafast broadband, known as Gfast, is now available to tens of thousands of people in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The cities are among the first UK locations to pilot Gfast technology, offering download speeds up to 330Mbps – about seven times the UK average.[1] People using Gfast can download a two hour HD film in just 90 seconds, a 45 minute HD TV show in 16 seconds and a nine hour audio book in three seconds.

Openreach, the business responsible for Britain’s largest phone and broadband network, has so far made the technology available to more than 390,000 homes and businesses ahead of a nationwide rollout, which will see ultrafast broadband reaching 12 million UK premises by 2020.

Locations in Glasgow set to benefit include parts of the following wards: Bishopbriggs, Calton, Cambuslang, Giffnock, Thornliebank, Langside, Linn, Netherlee, Stamperland, Williamwood, Newlands, Auldburn, Rutherglen, Shettleston and the Southside. In Edinburgh, parts of the following wards will benefit: City Centre, Corstorphine, Murrayfield, Forth, Fountainbridge, Craiglockhart, Inverleith, Leith Walk, Morningside, Sighthill, Gorgie, Newington and Almond.

Andrew Hepburn, Openreach’s infrastructure delivery director in Scotland, said: “It’s great news that Glasgow and Edinburgh are playing a leading role in the development of this exciting new technology. Gfast will help transform the broadband picture in the UK by ushering in a new era where ultrafast speeds are widely available.

“The amount people are doing online and at the same time, from streaming high definition movies, TV, gaming and online shopping to using mobile devices over wireless broadband, is growing every year and this pace shows no sign of slowing. We need to stay ahead in order to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Gfast will allow us to do that by building on the investment we have made in fibre to date. It will transform the UK broadband landscape from superfast to ultrafast, and it will reach the largest number of people in the quickest possible time.”

Gfast technology allows ultrafast speeds, which previously required fibre optic cables to be run all the way to a property (Fibre to the Premises – FTTP), to be transmitted over existing copper lines and fibre broadband cabinets.

It’s enabling Openreach to make ultrafast speeds available more quickly to a much larger number of homes and businesses than if it focused on FTTP alone.

Gfast technology is expected to exceed a million premises by the end of the fiscal year.

So far, Openreach has made ultrafast broadband available to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the country – using Gfast and Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) services, which are both capable of delivering ultrafast speeds. More than 770,000 customers already have access to these ultrafast technologies.

The rollout of Gfast in Scotland’s largest two cities, builds on the existing deployment of fibre technology across both cities, where more than 98% per cent of homes and businesses already have access to high-speed broadband.

Andrew Hepburn added: “Pilot schemes, such as the ones in Glasgow and Edinburgh, are important for us to fully test the new network in a number of different situations before it reaches millions of homes and businesses across the UK. The areas we’ve chosen are carefully selected based on a variety of factors, including engineering considerations and the need to test the technology for a range of communities.

“We’d encourage anybody in one of the pilot areas to take part. You can check if you’re eligible with the Openreach fibre checker by entering your postcode or telephone number.”

Anybody wanting more information or wishing to check if they can get Gfast should visit www.openreach.co.uk/ultrafast

[1] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research/connected-nations-2017

ScotlandApprenticesBT Group has become the first-ever employer in Scotland to be awarded the highest possible marks in a review of its Modern Apprenticeship scheme by HM Inspectors.

The company received ‘Excellent’ gradings in all five areas* assessed during the review, which was undertaken by HM Inspectors from Education Scotland.

Previously, the highest rating ever achieved in Scotland was four Excellent grades and one Very Good.

The review process covers Modern Apprenticeships in IT and Communications offered by colleges, training providers and employers. Core areas of evaluation are rated on a six-point scale from unsatisfactory to excellent, the latter awarded for “outstanding and sector leading” results.

The rigorous assessment process included in-depth interviews with senior managers, trainers and Modern Apprentices across the company.

BT Group currently employs more than 320 apprentices in Scotland, with 185 working in Openreach and the rest in the other lines of business, including 44 in BT Business and Public Sector and 29 in EE.

BT Scotland director Brendan Dick said: “We’ve employed apprentices for more than 100 years and it’s the first time in our history we’ve achieved all excellent ratings for our scheme anywhere in the UK. We’re honoured and thrilled by this fantastic result.

“Modern Apprentices are the lifeblood of our business and we work hard to make sure they get the best possible grounding whether they’re headed for a career in engineering, customer service, mechanics or cyber security.

“Modern Apprenticeships are a great choice for individuals who want to learn as they earn, but they also bring skills into the workforce that benefit the wider Scottish economy.

“We work very closely with Skills Development Scotland on our Modern Apprenticeship programme, and we could not have done this without the fantastic support they provide.”

He added: “The review has highlighted as an area for development the need to increase our number of female Modern Apprentices. We’ll be looking at what more can be done to encourage women into careers in IT and communications, which ties in with our long-term commitment to help build a culture of tech literacy in the UK.”

The inspectors examined learning, teaching and other activities at BT and Openreach that impact on the quality of the apprentice experience. These were evaluated against three areas: Outcomes and Impact, Service Delivery and Leadership and Quality Culture.

They found that achievement rates among BT Modern Apprentices were significantly higher than the ICT sector and the national average. The report highlighted the company’s collaborative approach with political and technical organisations, and the development of links with Scottish universities to deliver degree-level programmes in the near future.

The report concluded: “There is a culture of improvement within BT at all levels which supports apprentices to achieve their programmes, develop important technical and essential skills and take opportunities to develop themselves within the company.

“BT is meeting well its strategic ambitions of ensuring every apprentice receives high-quality training experiences and developing a pool of talent to meet business needs and provide future managers.”

G.fast installationGlasgow and Edinburgh become UK pioneers for new G.fast technology

Thousands of people in parts of Edinburgh and Glasgow can now get some of the fastest broadband speeds in the country as Openreach has begun switching on the pilot areas for its new ultrafast broadband network.

Around 16,900 households and businesses in parts of Sighthill, Gorgie, Corstorphine, Murrayfield, Fountainbridge, Craiglockhart, the Meadows and Morningside in Edinburgh and parts of Linn and Rutherglen in Glasgow are set to benefit from the new ultrafast service, known as G.fast, which provides download speeds of up to 330Mbps – more than 10 times the UK average.

The faster speeds that ultrafast broadband brings means a two hour HD film can be downloaded in just 90 seconds, a 45 minute HD TV show in just 16 seconds and a nine hour audio book in just three seconds.

People living in the pilot areas who want to try the new service should contact their internet service provider to see if they’re offering a service, and to find out more about availability and pricing.

Andrew Hepburn, Openreach fibre programme director for Scotland, said: “A huge amount of effort and substantial investment has already taken place in the development of this exciting new technology. So I’m delighted to announce that we can now start connecting the first people in Scotland to this new technology.

“These pilot schemes are hugely important to us and to the local households and businesses, which will be able to benefit from G.fast. Whether you are somebody aiming to work more efficiently or grow your business, or a household going online for shopping, entertainment or studies, fast access to the internet has never been more important. We know the technology works and can be a major benefit for customers, but these pilots will now help us test and improve all the factors involved in rolling out G.fast on a national scale.”

Kim Mears, Openreach managing director for infrastructure delivery, added: “The UK is ahead of its major European neighbours when it comes to superfast broadband but technology never stands still – that’s why we’re building on our existing fibre network and leading the way in deploying ultrafast speeds.

“We need to stay ahead in order to meet the evolving needs of our customers. G.fast will allow us to do that by building on the investment we have made in fibre to date. It will transform the UK broadband landscape from superfast to ultrafast, and it will reach the largest number of people in the quickest possible time.”

Engineers have spent recent months upgrading the network in several parts of Edinburgh and Glasgow to prepare for the arrival of the G.fast broadband pilot scheme.

The cities were announced as pilot locations for G.fast in October 2016, as part of Openreach’s ambition to make ultrafast broadband available to 12 million UK homes by the end of 2020.

G.fast technology changes the way today’s broadband is transmitted, delivering ultrafast speeds that have previously required fibre to be run all the way to the premises (FTTP). This is significant as G.fast will enable Openreach, the local network business which is part of BT Group, to make ultrafast fibre available to a much larger number of homes and businesses and more quickly than if it had focused on FTTP alone.

It builds on the success of the rollout of superfast broadband, which has already reached more than 442,000 homes and businesses in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Overall, more than nine out of ten premises across the UK can access superfast speeds today with around another 17,000 homes and businesses being enabled each week.

Following the early trials of G.fast in Cambridgeshire, Gosforth and South Wales, the 17 pilot areas have extended that reach even further – already reaching more than 100,000 homes across the UK.

People wanting to take advantage of the new ultrafast technology can find out more about which providers offer this service by visiting www.openreach.co.uk/buyultrafast