Northern Ireland Public Building Broadband Boost

Full Fibre Northern Ireland Consortium to deliver high speed fibre broadband to public sector buildings.

06:54 21 May 2020

Ten councils in Northern Ireland are working together in building the Full Fibre Northern Ireland Consortium (FFNI). The initiative focuses on connecting public sector sites to make sit easier for suppliers to make full fibre available to nearby businesses and residential properties. FFNI secured £15million of Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) funding from the UK's Department of Culture, Media and Sport last March. 

 

FFFNI aims to increase the number of premises that have access to reliable fibre broadband, which is currently just at 44per cent. The consortium hopes to ensure that the region has "available and affordable connectivity to support future growth and prosperity." 

 

Councillor Gregg McKeen, chair of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council's Borough Growth committee, said: "Our residents and local businesses depend on us to deliver high quality public services and having connectivity is essential to that. 

 

"The public sector has to keep pace with what technology can offer local communities by other regions who recognise the value of full fibre broadband." 

 

Cllr Pual Michael, Antrim and Newtonabbey Borough Council, stated previously: "Investing in connectivity is essential for economic growth and prosperity and will help further establish both the borough of Antrim and Newtownabbey and all of Northern Ireland as a digital destination for investment, jobs and business infrastructure.