Netomnia, the UK’s fastest-growing wholesale fibre broadband operator, hosted a site visit with Ashford Borough Council on Monday 25th July to discuss how it is rolling out its Fibre to the Premises (FFTP) network in Ashford.

Netomnia is making an investment to build high-quality, full fibre networks across the UK and is currently being rolled out across 48 towns and cities. Its network will enable businesses and residents access to fast and reliable broadband, whilst helping to future-proof and diversify local economies.

Full fibre broadband uses fibre-optic cables to deliver ultrafast broadband services directly to premises, providing faster speeds and a more reliable service than copper-based networks. Networks like these boost local economies by providing jobs, increasing property values* and enabling a much more attractive base for businesses. **

Cllr Neil Bell, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development, along with officers from Ashford Borough Council visited the Netomnia build in Ashford to see how full fibre rollouts happen on the ground. They began at the BT Exchange in Ashford and then visited two properties enabling them to see how the fibre cabling is installed and understand its journey from the exchange to households and businesses.

Cllr Neil Bell, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development at Ashford Borough Council said: “Full fibre broadband is fast becoming a necessity for many across the UK and I’m delighted that Netomnia has chosen Ashford as one of its locations for their multi-gigabit network. I was impressed with the speed of the rollout and just how little disruption their engineering work has for residents in the area. We very much welcome their investment, along with other network operators in the area, who will provide a freedom of choice for our residents for this much-needed service."

Netomnia is investing up to £59m in Kent, which includes builds across Gravesend, Maidstone, Ashford and Canterbury.

Sophia Koopman, Business Development Director at Netomnia, said: "It was a pleasure to host Cllr Neil Bell and his colleagues at our Ashford site, discussing the many benefits that our multi-gigabit network will bring to the area.

"Full fibre broadband provides the core infrastructure required for the next generation of digital technology and will drive the expansion of smart infrastructure in Ashford, resulting in a modernised, more productive and innovative economy".

Netomnia has ambitious plans to continue its rollout across the UK in a bid to accelerate the UK’s transition to full fibre. Along with YouFibre, an internet service provider, it has secured £418 million in funding since 2020 to support its rollout strategy.

ENDS

*https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/got-fast-broadband-it-could-have-a-surprising-impact-on-the-value-of-your-home/

**https://whatworksgrowth.org/policy-reviews/broadband/