John Henry COMMUNICA Issue Four | Page 28

COMMUNICA | Issue Four Also we have recently made advances to open a specialist ‘Alt-Net’ division to work with and advise growing/start-up ISPs of the best way commercially to realise the delivery of FTTP as a result of this market boom. CM: In terms of physically deploying new fibre optic broadband networks, over the past few years what advances on the civil engineering side have helped the most with related roll-outs? MH: John Henry Group has developed a narrow trenching solution which has provided significant savings on a civils infrastructure build in a bituminous (asphalt) pavement. The technique was developed in Cambridge at our head office. Because of the speed of the build, from a PR perspective, it reduces the disruption of street works on people and businesses in the area in which we are building the network. The environmental impact is also much lower due to material reduction on the trench backfill and the reduced vehicle movements associated during the construction process. 28 | Effectively, it means John Henry Group offers ISPs the fastest, most cost-effective compliant network build solution in the market. Alternatively, advancements in micro trenching look promising. If we look abroad, we see the use of alternative techniques and plant/machinery which would help with the roll-outs, achieving both significant commercial return and a quicker construction solution and we are actively engaged with many new equipment manufacturers and partner companies abroad to explore these latest technologies. These methods such as micro trenching and alternative reinstatement materials are yet to be fully deployed in the UK, and legislation may not allow, but there is no doubt they would help the roll out of future and next gen networks. “Geo-sight allows us to prove that we have left our site compliant, so that we can combat any controversial FPNs”