UK Launches £4m Fund to Run Fibre Optic Cables Through Water Pipes
upstart writes:
UK launches 4m fund to run fibre optic cables through water pipes:
Broadband UK launches 4m fund to run fibre optic cables through water pipes
The [UK] government has launched a 4m fund to back projects trialling running fibre optic broadband cables through water pipes to help connect hard-to-reach homes without digging up roads.
The money will also be used to test out monitors in pipes that can help water companies identify and repair leaks more quickly. About a fifth of water put into public supply every day is lost via leaks and it is hoped that sensors could help deliver water companies' commitment to reduce water loss by half.
Infrastructure works, in particular installing new ducts and poles, can make up as much as four-fifths of the costs to industry of building new gigabit-capable broadband networks, the government said.
The project is designed to help cut those costs, and is part of a plan to improve broadband and mobile signals in rural areas.
[...] Although more than 96% of UK premises already have access to superfast broadband, providing download speeds of at least 24 Mbps, according to the government, just 12% of the UK has access to faster speeds via full-fibre broadband.
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