Warwick tech company secures major Openreach contract

A Warwick technology company which specialises in the design, build, operation and maintenance of critical UK digital infrastructure, has been awarded a lucrative contract by Openreach.

The contract will support a massive £12 billion project that’s bringing ultrafast, ultrareliable ‘Full Fibre’ broadband to millions of UK homes and businesses.

Telent will build new infrastructure for Openreach on sites across the UK, including in Coventry, Worcester, Wednesbury, Walsall and Bristol.

Detailed planning activity is already under way with construction due to start during the next 18 months. The contract award follows a competitive tender process and will see Telent supporting Openreach’s ambition to build ‘Full Fibre’ infrastructure to 20 million premises throughout the UK by the mid-to-late 2020s.

Openreach’s Full Fibre network is already available to more than three million homes and businesses across the UK and Telent is one of nine partners to win contracts which will see that extended to at least a further two million premises. As part of the contract, Telent will be responsible for construction tasks such as: surveying, building, testing and supporting Openreach to commission the network so that customers can place orders.

Ric Welsby, Managing Director of Telent’s Infrastructure Services division, said: “The pandemic has demonstrated the critical nature of fast and reliable broadband and Openreach is accelerating its deployment to meet increased demand. We are extremely proud to be playing a part in the roll out of this important national infrastructure.”

Kevin Murphy, MD for Fibre and Network Delivery at Openreach, said: “This is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the UK today, and if we’re going to deliver the enormous social, environmental and economic benefits that Full Fibre can bring, it’s important we can build the new network efficiently, safely and without compromising on quality.

"We’re delighted to be partnering with Telent because they’ll be pivotal in helping us achieve those aims for our customers and for the UK as a whole.”

Telent is already recruiting people to help deliver this project and Openreach will be offering training as part of this build programme which includes partner use of its 12 training schools across the UK.