Nokia has announced a partnership with Lightspeed Broadband to help bring 10 Gbps “symmetric fibre broadband” to 1 million homes and businesses in the east of England by the end of 2025. The initial rollout will begin as soon as the end of 2022 in several places.
Under the agreement, Nokia will provide Lightspeed with its XGS-PON equipment which will be used at customers' homes as well as at the operator’s points of presence. It will also provide aggregation switching, IP edge solutions, Nokia’s whole-home Wi-Fi 6 Beacons, and its Altiplano management platform.
Commenting on the deal, Steve Haines, CEO of Lightspeed Broadband, said:
“We are delighted to be a key account for Nokia, which we feel reflects our strategic relationship and growth potential. Nokia has demonstrated the flexibility and agility we need to support our ambitious deployment plans.”
According to the announcement, the first 100,000 customers will be connected by the end of 2022. They will be located in 10 market towns around South Lincolnshire and West Norfolk including Spalding, Stamford, Boston, and King’s Lynn. In the succeeding years, connectivity will be expanded to Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex.
