Pioneering fibre optics put Prince Philip Park at forefront of connectivity
Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company (WBRC) are breaking tradition by not utilising the major internet service and telephone providers to supply their Prince Philip Park (PPP) development in Whitehill & Bordon, Hampshire. Instead, WBRC are installing their own site wide infrastructure and utilising their own Internet Service Provider (ISP) to deliver a hyper fast broadband service, of up to 1,000Mbs.
WBRC will connect 2,400 new homes and businesses across Prince Philip Park to their bespoke central data hub – The Meet Me Room (MMR) – using four fibre optic cables. The first fibre delivers their hyper fast broadband, the second all-digital television, Freeview, Satellite (including Sky and Freeview) and DAB radio signals, the third a future alternative ISP and the fourth is currently spare, available for a future service, such as an innovative community project. Or an ‘E-health’ service, as part of the NHS Healthy Town programme and Internet of Things.
WBRC’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) ‘Fibre First Ltd’ currently offer customers 20Mb, 100Mb and 1,000Mb broadband packages, at 5% less than the major ISPs average package cost. The two higher speed packages come with a free 18-month Sky package. Fibre First Ltd also offer two telephone packages of £3.60 and £6.00 per month, subject to a broadband connection.
As standard, every new property at Prince Philip Park will have up to four rooms wired to two satellite sockets, one TV socket, one DAB radio socket, one Cat 5E Data/Broadband socket, and one telephone socket. This ensures the services are distributed throughout the home, so current and future Smart Home technologies can be implemented anywhere in the properties without the need for rewiring.
Residents of a new home at Taylor Wimpey’s Dukes Quarter development on Prince Philip Park are the first to be connected to the service, with a further 30 homes due to be connected by the end of this year. The first business connected is the new Bordon and Oakhanger Sports Club pavilion, which offers free WIFI to all patrons.
Chris Knott, technical lead, Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company, said: “With access to such high broadband speeds, the homes and businesses at Prince Philip Park will benefit from connectivity unseen in much of the UK. We anticipate this pioneering system of fibre optics will have a positive impact on home-working capabilities, as well as providing an improved consumer experience for residents and businesses.
“As one of only ten development projects in the UK granted ‘NHS Healthy New Town’ status, we’re making it a key aim to implement infrastructure and services that support resident’s choices to live an active and social lifestyle. Implementing smart technology will enable us to do this, and this fibre optic technology is just the start.”