Burnley set for network upgrades

Thousands of Burnley businesses and residents are set to benefit from multi-million-pound upgrades to the town's power network and broadband connectivity.

Full fibre operator ITS Technology Group is now offering over 3,500 Burnley businesses the opportunity to connect to Gigabit-capable business broadband as it joins the Faster Britain programme.

The Faster Britain network has already made a significant impact on other areas across the country, including Blackburn, Accrington and Chorley, as well as the wider North West. Faster Britain’s team of engineers is already on the ground and ready to bring Burnley businesses up to speed, offering a huge connectivity boost to manufacturing, retail, creative and other sectors in the area.

The network already reaches key business areas across the town, including Network 65, Empire, Phoenix Works and Heasandford business parks, as well as Billington Road and Farrington industrial estates.

Andrew Dean, Burnley BID project manager, said: “The Faster Britain programme from ITS is a fantastic opportunity for the town and its many thriving businesses. Our aspirations here at the BID are to promote all areas of Burnley, and the addition of a faster network will make a huge difference to local businesses, from independent traders to large-scale retail organisations alike!”

Phillip Lee, head of channel at ITS, added: “We’re over the moon to see this project come to life, and the whole host of benefits that local businesses will receive. Having lived in Burnley all of my life, I have witnessed first-hand the frustration felt by many as the rest of the country has been brought up to gigabit speed capability, whilst smaller areas are often left behind. The addition of the Faster Britain network will firmly put Burnley on the map.”

Meanwhile, Electricity North West has also announced it will commence work upgrading 4.1km of 33,000-volt underground electricity cables next week.

Engineers will replace cables on two separate routes at the same time to help minimise disruption in the long term. The power network operator is investing close to £2m with the new cables helping pave the way to a net zero future.

Holly Stewart, who is overseeing the work in Burnley for Electricity North West, said: “We’re really pleased to be shortly getting underway for what will be two major projects for Burnley. When the projects were in planning, it made sense to carry them out at the same time given they share similar routes.

“Both projects are a necessity. Our reliance on electricity is only going to increase in the future given more customers will be using electric vehicles and electric heat pumps. That’s why it’s important we provide a reliable power network to meet the growing demand, so that customers continue to get the power they need.”