The project can bring fiber optic broadband to remote areas while monitoring the pipeline for leaks

Last modified on Monday, August 9, 2021 00.13 EDT

The government launched a £4 million fund to support a project to test run fiber-optic broadband cables through water pipes to help connect hard-to-reach households without digging roads.

The money will also be used to test monitors in pipelines to help water companies identify and repair leaks more quickly. About one-fifth of the water supplied to the public water supply every day is lost due to leaks. It is hoped that the sensor can help the water supply company's promise to reduce water loss by half.

The government stated that infrastructure projects, especially the installation of new pipelines and utility poles, can account for four-fifths of the industry’s cost of building a new gigabit broadband network.

The project aims to help cut these costs and is part of a plan to improve broadband and mobile signal in rural areas.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said: "The cost of digging roads and land is the biggest obstacle that telecommunications companies face in connecting hard-to-reach areas to better broadband, but there is a huge network of pipelines under our feet. Buildings in almost every country.

"Therefore, we call on outstanding innovators in the UK to help us use this infrastructure to achieve a dual purpose, not only to provide fresh and clean water, but also to provide lightning-fast digital connections."

The fund was launched after the government began collecting evidence on how to use more than 1 million kilometers of underground public pipelines to promote next-generation broadband deployment in June.

A consortium of telecommunications companies, utility suppliers and engineering companies will be selected to deliver the project. The deadline for applications is October 4th, and any proposal needs to be approved by the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Electricity and gas companies, water and sewer networks, and telecommunications groups must respond to inquiries about regulatory changes before September 4 to make it easier to share infrastructure. Broadband cables have been deployed in water pipes in other countries, including Spain.

According to the government, although more than 96% of UK locations have access to ultra-high-speed broadband, providing download speeds of at least 24 Mbps, only 12% of the UK can obtain faster speeds through all-fiber broadband.

A report released last year indicated that unless issues such as pricing and specific plans to reach remote towns and villages are resolved, the government may not be able to achieve its ambition to provide every household with next-generation fiber-optic broadband by 2025. This ambition is a key promise of Boris Johnson's campaign manifesto.