An exciting new partnership has been launched that aims to make the Royal Borough of Greenwich one of the most digitally connected areas in the country.
A new company, Digital Greenwich Connect Ltd, has been incorporated to design, build, maintain, and commercialise a 21 km full-fibre, gigabit-capable network infrastructure.
The new digital highway is a £2m joint venture between DG Cities, an innovation company set up and owned by Greenwich Council, and full-fibre provider ITS Technology Group. Each company has invested £1m into the programme.
This joint venture showcases a new model for a highly connected world, with the ambition to drive a modern, ethical and sustainable regional economy that allows every business and person to connect and thrive.
Digital Greenwich Connect will substantially improve connectivity in the area, at an affordable price, while enabling public service transformation and an improvement in digital skills. This aligns to the Council’s ambitious new corporate strategy: ‘Our Greenwich’.
Innovative new deployment techniques are being used as part of the network, minimising the impact on the environment and on local residents and transport users, utilising existing public infrastructure wherever possible. Internet service providers using the network will be able to offer speeds of 1,000mbps and beyond, providing a highly reliable service for businesses, public services and residents.
Councillor Anthony Okereke, said: “This is one of a number of innovative steps we are taking to ensure our residents and businesses have access to fast, reliable and affordable digital connectivity and to support the delivery of modern Council services. It underpins our ambition for our communities set out in ‘Our Greenwich’ and reinforces our position as a forward-thinking, innovative council.”
In its initial launch phase, the network will cover a 21km area within Woolwich, with further expansion planned. It will provide a full-fibre, ultrafast, gigabit-capable network infrastructure and will equip businesses, schools, residents and students with access to internet speeds that underpin modern working and modern living.