O2 UK inks a 15-year agreement with Zayo Group, a global bandwidth infrastructure services provider to provide and manage a fully resilient core fibre network throughout the UK. The nationwide fibre network, which uses the acquired Geo Networks infrastructure, spans from Glasgow to Salisbury, comprising more than 4,500 route km and incorporates 19 connectivity points around the UK.
The deal marks a shift for O2 from SDH and Ethernet-based managed services infrastructure to a dedicated fibre optic network which connects mobile switching sites across the network. The new infrastructure will provide O2 with flexible capacity to accommodate theincreasing demand for mobile data driven by its 4G rollout and increasingly digital customer base, said Zayo.
Adrian Di Meo, Chief Technology Officer for O2
With the O2 4G network now covering over 260 towns and cities and half of the UK population, there has been unprecedented growth in the amount of data traffic transmitted across the network. A year after the launch of our 4G network, it has already carried a total of 5,400 Terabytes of 4G data, which is the equivalent of eight million hours of HD video. Deploying high capacity core fibre is essential when faced with this increase in data traffic and the resilience and reliability of our network is important for customers.
Alastair Kane, European vice-president for Zayo
We have seen an increase in data consumption and this is most apparent when we look at the ever-increasing requirements for mobile users. Zayo is committed to expanding its European footprint and enabling its partners to manage these constantly expanding traffic requirements. By moving this particular infrastructure to a dedicated fibre optic platform, O2 can manage their growth more effectively.
