The UK government’s plan to speed up the nationwide full fibre rollout by feeding cables through the country’s water pipes is a positive step, but will not go far enough, says Dahwood Ahmed, Regional Director UK&I at Extreme Networks.
He said: "Feeding cables through the country's water pipes is a smart, efficient and creative approach. But to fully close the connectivity gap, the problem needs to be addressed with more than one solution.
“One already proven option is the adoption of altnets. To close the UK connectivity gap once and for all, the government and technology innovators need to work together.”
The government is committing four million pounds to its Fibre in Water project which it hopes will turbocharge Project Gigabit by removing the disruption of digging.
Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said: “We are calling on Britain’s innovators to help us use this infrastructure to serve a dual purpose of serving up not just fresh and clean water but also lightning-fast digital connectivity.”