STL, an industry integrator of digital networks, announced a strategic collaboration with Openreach, the United Kingdom’s largest digital network business. Openreach chose STL to provide optical cable solutions for its new, ultra-fast, ultra-reliable full fiber broadband network.
Under the partnership, STL will be responsible for delivering millions of kilometers of optical fiber cable to support the build over the next three years. Openreach has plans to use STL’s expertise and innovation to help accelerate its full fiber build program and drive efficiency. The collaboration with Openreach strengthens a 14-year-old technology and supply relationship between the two companies and reinforces STL’s commitment to the U.K. market.
Openreach plans to take advantage of STL’s cutting-edge Opticonn solution – a specialized set of fiber, cable and interconnect offerings designed to drive significant performance improvements, including up to 30 percent faster installation. It will also have access to STL’s Celesta – a high-density optical fiber cable with a capacity of up to 6,912 optical fibers. This compact design is 26 percent slimmer compared to traditional loose tube cables, allowing 2,000 meters of cable to be installed in under an hour. The high density super-slim cable will also help minimize the use of plastic across Openreach’s new network.
The announcement comes as Openreach ramps up the build rate for its program, which aims to reach 20 million homes and businesses by the mid-to-late 2020s.
