technology

THE NEED FOR SPEED

Fibre provider HypEropTic is on track to revolutionise the UK broadband market with hyper-fast connections and low prices

BroAdBAnd is incrEAsingly A ‘must-have’ rather than a pleasing add-on to modern life. With most of us regularly using the internet for leisure - such as for shopping and talking to friends and family - and with more than four million people now estimated to work from home, broadband speed and connectivity is rapidly becoming key to the property-buying process. However, despite the importance of broadband technology to our lives, the UK currently lags behind in the speed stakes. According to Ofcom, the average Briton gets roughly 6.8Mbps, which puts us in the rather unimpressive position of twenty-fifth in the world for broadband speeds.

A company that is set to change all this is London-based fibre broadband provider Hyperoptic. Headed up by MD Dana Tobak, the former co-founder and MD of Be, the company is based at Westfield and is the first in the UK to offer consumers 1 Gigabit download and upload speeds. Hyperoptic’s aim is to revolutionise broadband in the UK by bringing fibre directly into homes, resulting in a lightning fast connection - currently 140 times the speed of the UK average.

So what makes fibre broadband so superior? Dana explains that the ADSL technology that brings broadband into most UK homes utilises the unused capacity within our copper phone lines to transmit data. This has the advantage of using existing technology that is connected to virtually every home in the UK. Where it falls down is the lack of capacity for todays’ bandwidth needs as well as the inevitable interference on the line either due to lack of ‘shielding’ from other lines or from external power sources such as sub-stations and transmitters. In recent years progress has been made by traditional broadband providers in increasing speed and efficiency but users are still plagued by what Dana calls the ‘distance from exchange problem’. Basically, the further from the telephone exchange you live, the more degraded your broadband signal becomes, leaving some homes with no reliable broadband and others with an intermittent service.

Using fibre optic technology solves all these problems. Unlike phone wires, this technology has been developed with the sole purpose of transmitting massive amounts of data. There is no signal degradation and the cabling can be laid at the same time as other services, keeping costs down.

It is not only the speed of Hyperoptic’s fibre broadband offer that is predicted to get the market talking. Prices are competitive too with residential pricing starting at a comparatively low £12.50 per month for broadband (based on taking phone service with a £12.50 line rental, including free UK evening and weekend calls). Packages include: n 20Mb/s Hyper-lite £12.50 pcm n 100 Mb/s Hyper-active £25.00 pcm n 1Gig Hyper-sonic £50.00 pcm

Hyperoptic is now talking to a wide range of developers to promote the benefits to residents of incorporating fibre optic technology in their schemes. The offer is an attractive one. Future-proofing residential developments in the face of ever-increasing demand for faster broadband, adds value and has huge potential kerb appeal for purchasers.

All this makes perfect sense in new build developments but what of existing blocks? There is no doubt of the potential benefit that residents can gain but what they will be asking is how much it will cost to run new cabling and install the technology in their homes? There is no easy answer to this question. According to Dana, it depends on the construction of the building. Does it have existing risers and hatches providing access to each flat? Is the building listed? Can cabling remain surface-mounted or must it be hidden? These issues all impact on cost.

On the plus side however, there is also what Dana describes as the ‘Groupon effect’ which means that the more residents buyin to the technology, the cheaper it can be offered. Hyperoptic’s’ current offer means that they are only looking at installing fibre in blocks of more than 100 units. Smaller than that and the economies of scale don’t add up, Dana explains, although in future this is expected to change.

Locations that Hyperoptic has already started deployments in include Battersea, Docklands, Holborn, Shepherds Bush, Vauxhall and Westminster. ●

WHaT arE fibrE OPTiCS?

An optical fibre is a flexible, transparent length of silica only slightly thicker than a human hair. Light is transmitted between the two ends of the fibre, which allows data to be transmitted faster and further than other forms of communication. Signals travel along fibres very efficiently and they are not plagued by the interference that affects copper telephone wires. Fibres can be wrapped in bundles to enable them to carry large quantities of data including complex images. This makes them particularly appropriate for supplying services such as TV and broadband.

About Hyperoptic Hyperoptic is the latest fibre technology for online connection. Delivering fibreto-the-building with speeds of 1 Gig to jump start the UK into the ‘real’ fibre revolution, Hyperoptic was founded in 2011 by Boris Ivanovic, Chairman and Dana Tobak, Managing Director (below). The same team previously co-founded the UK’s breakthrough 24meg ISP Be in 2005, which was sold to O2 one and a half years later. Be’s market-leading customer service enabled them to win a number of awards including Which?Which? ISPISP andand PC PC Advisor’sAdvisor’s BestBest Buy.Buy.

HyperopticHyperoptic is is a finalista finalist in two categories of the 2012 ISPA Awards; Best Consumer Fixed Broadband andBroadband and BestBest NewNew ISP. Hyperoptic Unit C401, WestfieldWestfield London,London, ArielAriel Way,Way, London, W12 7FD Tel 0333 332 1111 Email support@ hyperoptic.com Web www.hyperoptic.comwww.hyperoptic.com

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