The plans by Fibrecity to use the sewage system in Bournemouth to deploy it’s own fibre optic network across the city appear to have been flushed down the pan!

The i3 Group who were planning on offering fibre to the home (FTTH) with broadband speeds up to 100Mb by utilising the sewage systems in Bournemouth to make the deployment far cheaper than would be available by digging up roads.

In a statement sent to PC Pro the CEO of i3 Group, Elfed Thomas said:

“It is our opinion that Wessex Water has been short sighted in putting commercial demands above the opportunity to provide a low-cost fibre optic network that will deliver superfast broadband to their own customers.”

Ian Drury from Wessex Water said:

“The reason the project in Bournemouth didn’t move forward was because there were contractual problems. The technology methodology didn’t work for us, nor did the reward for placing the cables in the sewers.

We would certainly look at other proposals should they arise, if the terms and conditions are right for us. We haven’t ruled out putting fibre-optic cables in sewers.”

Elsewhere, Scottish Water have not had issues with allowing the use of their sewers for the laying of the fibre optic broadband cable by the i3 Group and in-fact say that it generates revenue along with the help and management and repair of pipes.

In the future we should not rule out the possibility that the government and Ofcom may rule that sewerage systems and BTs cable ducts are forced to be made to open up their access to allow others to utilise the infrastructure already there for the laying of fibre optic cables.