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Next generation broadband launches in the North West with Corridor Manchester
Today sees the official launch of Corridor Manchester, a new pilot scheme which will provide 500 businesses and 1,000 homes in the city with internet connection speeds that are up to 100 times faster than their current levels. The £500,000 project is funded by the NWDA and co-ordinated by the Manchester Digital Development Agency (MDDA).
Hailed as the first of its kind in the UK, Corridor Manchester will connect the homes and businesses in the Oxford Road area via fibre optic cabling, which is expected to be in place for the first cluster of users before the end of the year.
Once in place the plans are to roll out the infrastructure across the rest of the city, starting with the East Manchester area. The MDDA will set up working groups from across different business areas, including the creative sector, to assess and develop uses for the technology.
David Carter, head of the MDDA, said of the scheme: “For Manchester to keep its competitive edge on the national and global stage, we need an effective high speed broadband infrastructure.
“We cannot wait for the market providers to do this for us – it’s a bit like public transport, private operators don’t build new train lines or tram tracks - we need to provide the core infrastructure on which they can build. This will be an open access network available to all service providers.”
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, added: “Even at this time of economic downturn Manchester has ambitious plans for its knowledge economy.
“We are committed to delivering Digital Britain and next generation broadband, and this new advanced infrastructure will help create exciting innovative new applications for the Internet which will benefit our residents and businesses.”
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