Community Fibre is installing fibre-optic cabling to 1,000 homes in London’s Westminster area as part of a pilot project to support digital inclusion among Westminster City Council’s housing residents. By working with Westminster City Council and its ALMO CityWest Homes, Community Fibre’s installation is being carried out at no cost to residents or the council.
The fibre is installed directly into residents’ homes and gives them access to online services at up to 100 Mbps through their television and other devices. Residents will be able to access free digital TV channels, selected government websites and basic email. They will also be able to opt-in to additional services such as Sky TV, ultrafast broadband and telephony available at competitive rates.
Tim Stranack, head of business development, Westminster City Council, said, “We want all of our residents to have online access. This initiative by Community Fibre further reduces the number of Westminster residents that are on the wrong side of the digital divide.”
A pilot project was launched in October 2013 and, after initial positive feedback, is expected to be completed in 2014, before being applied to the rest of the council’s housing stock.
