FROM THE INDUSTRY
We’re looking at perpetuating or even deepening digital exclusion for people who own or live in flats. Many of the people most in need live in MDUs
was clearly resident demand for better broadband, but there was also caution from the council who were really keen for a network that didn’t affect the safety, aesthetics, or fabric of these buildings. Another example is Rufford and Moreton on the Steyne Estate in Ealing. We deployed 4Fibre during a refurbishment of two 20-plus-storey tower blocks. Deploying during the refurbishment meant that any ISP who wants to service the building afterward doesn’t need to break all the newly fire-sealed compartmentation in all the risers and to each front door. In both cases, 4Fibre provided a safe deployment that ensured the safety and integrity of the building wasn’t compromised, whilst minimising disruption. And that’s by virtue of being installed just once, rather than having multiple operators wiring the building one after the other, which is the traditional alternative. Is there anything else you think people should know about what’s affecting fibre deployment? Yeah, there is. There’s this industry perception that the majority of buildings already have fibre and we’re now entering a ‘merger and acquisition phase’. That perception is totally wrong, and it’s very risky for the progress of fibre. Because people—including government, freeholders, safety regulators—might actually believe that’s the case. It simply isn’t. I’d estimate there are probably one and a half million premises in London alone with poor broadband that merger and acquisition isn’t going to help. At all.
Let me point out the obvious here. The end result of having multiple operators deploying their networks means: multiple applications to Building Safety, repetitive wayleaves and legal agreements, loads of surveys and planning visits, multiple planning approvals, drilling holes over and over again, over-cabling, boxes everywhere, multiple contractors coming in and out, more truck rolls, more resident liaison, more record keeping for the ‘golden thread’, more project management for the freeholder, and significantly more repeated risk. None of which are in line with Building Safety Regulation’s main objectives, by the way.
This is insane. Is there a better way?
Yes—a shared, neutral, hosted full-fibre network that gets installed once and can be shared by multiple ISPs. 4Fibre is exactly that kind of network. We provide a “Do It Once, Do It Right” solution for multi-dwelling units. It’s especially worth considering for High-Risk Buildings affected by these new Building Safety Regulations. A shared neutral hosted full-fibre network gives you a building, freeholder, and resident-friendly collaborative approach. One agreement, one survey, one planning pack, and one BSR application—assuming we don’t find a more proportionate solution that gets rid of the need for a BS application altogether. You install it once, sign it off once with a golden thread, and it provides a cost- neutral, future-proof solution for freeholders and ISPs. Can you give us a real-world example of where 4Fibre’s overcome these building safety barriers in a high-risk building? One of the best examples is the Charcroft Estate in Shepherds Bush—it’s a Hammersmith and Fulham owned estate. Four towers, 20 storeys each, 100 flats in each tower. Roseford, Woodford, Shepherds, and Bush Court.
https://sccialphatrack.co.uk/
There was a major fire there in 2016, which made it a particularly sensitive site. There
Volume 47 No.4 DECEMBER 2025
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