COMMUNICA | Issue Five
“To map each build
and carry out
the work, we are
constantly innovating
and developing to
ensure advanced
techniques are used”
This marked the first of many subsidised project
wins, with Gigaclear regularly working with the
Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) rural broadband
programme, targeting areas where BT was unable
to provide superfast or ultrafast broadband. To
date, Gigaclear has won 19 contracts, which
has supported our expansion and helped us to
reach an increasing number of under-served rural
communities.
A further milestone in 2014 saw Gigaclear secure
its first institutional investor, Woodford Investment
Management.
This was just the start of our journey, enabling us
to secure millions of pounds of investment from
external partners over the past four years. This
includes a notable major investor which specialises
in infrastructure projects, Infracapital, who until that
point, had only invested in the big players in the
market.
For us, this provided a clear validation in our strategy
and vision for the future.
These investments have allowed us to strengthen
our business, expand our networks and build our
relationships throughout the industry. Securing
numerous contractors, including John Henry Group,
to deliver each build, has enabled us to share our
vision and bring like-minded companies on board.
This helps us deliver ultrafast connectivity
throughout rural UK, reaching over 200 communities
in 24 counties to date.
To map each build and carry out the work, we are
constantly innovating and developing to ensure
advanced techniques are used.
A clear example of this is utilising an innovative
technique many contractors wi ll be familiar with,
called Narrow Trenching.
This enables fibre optic cables to be installed in
trenches narrower than those used conventionally,
allowing the network to be deployed up to five
times faster than traditional construction methods.
In addition, this methodology reduces costs and
lessens both the impact of construction on local
roads and disruption to local traffic.
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