Town Deal Projects - Digital Infrastructure
The Digital Infrastructure Network is now live!
The project has enabled the roll-out of an ultrafast full fibre broadband network within St Helens town centre that provides the fastest and most resilient next generation digital infrastructure available.
This will futureproof our digital connectivity, ensuring its infrastructure can service the requirements of St Helens residents, businesses and visitors for decades to come.
Why have we delivered the Digital Infrastructure Project?
As well as enabling the delivery of the wider St Helens Town Centre Master Plan, the Digital Infrastructure Project aims to address digital inequalities and exclusions, providing the foundations to ensure those that do not have access to fast broadband and sufficient data are not left behind.
Its aim is to create economic opportunities and new jobs, working to ensure St Helens residents, partners and businesses can thrive in a digital future, using technology to improve the lives and life chances of everyone.
Our full fibre network provides gigabit-capable, ultrafast connectivity. It is the next generation of digital infrastructure delivering speeds of more than 1Gbps across St Helens town centre.
St Helens can become renowned for its digital capabilities, new technology and support of innovation. It will help ensure the borough's improvement ambition becomes a reality, and can support in creating new and safeguarded jobs, attracting enterprise and entrepeneurs.
Key features
Accessing the network: Unlike most fibre networks, this is 'open access'. That means any Internet provider can utilise the network. It will encourage competition amongst internet companies both locally, such as new St Helens start-ups (alternative network providers) and national operators. This will deliver a range of choice of high-quality digital options for residents and business.
Minimising disruption: The project utilised the 'Dig once' principle, meaning that where possible, our fibre was pulled through ducts which are already in the ground, or installed at the same time as other work taking place. This will prevent excess disruption within St Helens town centre.
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