We ll hire 7,000 to get it done by 2026, says boss
Matthew Hughes Thu 13 May 2021 // 14:39 UTC Share
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BT s Openreach has promised to bring FTTP connectivity to 25 million premises by the end of 2026, an increase of 5 million against the previous target.
To meet its loftier goal, the telco pledged to increase its FTTP build rate from 3 million premises each year to 4 million. This, company boss Philip Jansen said, will result in the direct creation of 7,000 new jobs.
Speaking on BT s quarterly conference call, Jansen claimed the company had renewed confidence it would be able to scale up its build numbers thanks to a tax break for full-fibre builds, which he described as a really good move, as well as regulatory reforms introduced in Ofcom s Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review (WFTMR), which limited pricing controls on new fibre-based products.
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Project Gigabit ahead of schedule
The leading broadband providers have told digital minister Oliver Dowden that they are on track to connect 60% of homes and businesses to gigabit broadband by the end of this year.
The project is estimated to have created more than 22,000 jobs over the last year.
“Our plan to level up communities across the UK by giving them the fastest broadband on the planet is working,” said Dowden, “we’re now on track to connect 60% of homes and businesses to gigabit speeds by the end of the year.”
The £5 billion Project Gigabit scheme to connect hard to reach areas had originally targeted the proportion of homes and businesses with access to gigabit-capable connections by the end of the year at 50%.
PM and Digital Secretary welcome broadband jobs boom
Boris Johnson and Oliver Dowden met with the biggest names in broadband today, praising the industry for creating more than 22,000 jobs over the last year.
From:
1 April 2021
Comes as government ups forecast for percentage of gigabit-capable homes and businesses in UK
New figures show rollout will reach 60 per cent by the end of 2021, up from 50 per cent
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden met with the biggest names in broadband today (1 April) and praised the industry for creating more than 22,000 jobs over the last year as forecasts for gigabit rollout are revised further upwards.