What could possibly prove the most viable option for deploying "fibre to the home" networks throughout the UK is currently in the pipeline, the sewer pipelines that is.
Elfed Thomas, managing director of H20 networks came up with the idea of using the UKs extensive sewer systems (which spans some 360,000 thousand miles) to deploy fibre networks some time ago.
"We had this big infrastructure problem in the UK and we had this existing ducting and I just thought why can't we use the sewers," he explained.
Since then H20 networks have been in discussions with the UKs water companies to get the go ahead. During 2003 they began laying their network, dubbed "Focus" (Fibre Optical Cable Underground Sewer) in parts of the UKs sewer systems.
The fundamental advantage to using the sewer systems over traditional methods to lay fibre involves cost and time.
"To roll out a networking deploying fibre over a 2km area would be six to 12 months in the planning. We can do it physically in four hours," said Mr Thomas.
Universities in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Bournemouth are reaping the benefits of the Focus network, with Napier University of Edinburgh savings a massive ?320,000 on their 1.2Km fibre broadband network.
The hardest aspect H20 have run into with regards to using Focus in residential environments is how exactly the network would reach homes.
Questions on whether or not the fibre would have to run through people's toilets and possible leakage problems have been raised.
With Focus in plans to roll out its next phase, it would seem that these are issues that will be dealt with, and the Focus network should play a big role in supplying high speed broadband networks to businesses and consumers throughout the UK.
