Colt has been working closely with the City of London Corporation, local developers, telcos, landlords, legal firms, and key trade associations to create legal documents which grant special access to land or buildings for the deployment of new infrastructure. These were previously complicated and costly, requiring a separate approach from each land or building owner.
The company says it'll reduce the time and cost it takes to get London businesses not currently connected to its high speed network, online, cutting down the deployment process from months to weeks.
“With the new agreement in place we are now able to connect our customers quicker than ever. High-quality, high-bandwidth connectivity is an essential part of business growth, and even holds the potential to provide improved connection standards that play a big part in making London the latest smart city,” said Paul Terry, senior manager, external operations service delivery at Colt.
“The standardised toolkit will reduce the deployment process exponentially, allowing our customers to reap the benefits of our best-in-class connection much quicker than before.”
The wayleave toolkit is available to access and use now, and covers fixed-line networks. It will be promoted through London borough planning policies and may spread to other cities and regions if the scheme is successful.
Mark Boleat, policy chairman at the City of London Corporation, added: “Broadband is the lifeblood for successful firms so it is essential they have access to high-speed internet when they move in. Any efforts which reduce the time and cost in getting superfast broadband in the capital are a welcome step. It has been great to see so many interested parties pulling in the same direction to get this legal template agreed.”
In addition to the wayleave standardisation, Colt is offering a free one month trial through its 3 for Free programme in London to get businesses online even faster and easier, and will add further buildings to its network.
