Deep under the streets of London, a network of 150-year-old but well maintained tunnels carry more than just 10 million people’s waste out to processing centres in the eastern fringes of the city. High on the walls of the 19th century sewers are threaded a set of brightly coloured optical fibre cables, carrying data for banks, TV broadcasters, telecoms companies and other businesses to and from data centres.
Now Geo Networks, the company that owns those fibres — and also owns others in more conventional ducts across the UK — wants to play a role in driving fibre into every community as the demand for reliable and fast broadband grows beyond anyone’s expectation.