The Association of South Essex Local Authorities (ASELA) has awarded MLL Telecom a £2.5 million contract to extend its full fibre broadband network in the area.
The company has recently begun the build with the aim of expanding the 130km of fibre infrastructure delivered under the first phase to over 200km, with the number of connections to be increased by around 100 from the initial 129.
The extensions will be made to public sector sites – including council buildings, schools and GP surgeries – in Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Rochford and Thurrock with the work carried out with fibre infrastructure provider Nextgenaccess and due for completion by March 2022.
MLL said it will provide the scope for services around wide area networks, voice and data, along with a dark fibre capability for other users.
ASELA has carried out the procurement under the Suffolk Cloud Partnership Agreement, originally agreed between MLL and Suffolk County Council, the anchor tenant, in 2018.
Growth and sustainability
Councillor Chris Hossack, chair of ASELA, said: “South Essex is a key strategic region within the UK with ambitious growth plans and a proactive attitude to delivering sustainable prosperity for its communities.
“There can be no doubt that digital connectivity is a key enabler to deliver on our south Essex growth plans. The fantastic success of this project is a considerable feather in our cap, we have delivered on time, in budget and fully to scope.
“The successful roll out of this network and funding to increase it further shows just what ASELA is achieving in driving the ambitions of south Essex to deliver growth for the region, contribute billions to the national economy and improve the lives and prospects of the region’s residents.”
Image from iStock, spainter
