The speed of Openreach’s full fibre rollout has received a boost as AFL, a subsidiary of Fujikura, has opened a UK facility to manufacture a form of fibre cable that is new to Europe.
AFL has moved into a Swindon facility that will produce Fujikura’s Air Blown Wrapping Tube Cable using SpiderWeb Ribbon fibre technology, which is quicker to install than conventional fibre optic cables.
Openreach has been using this technology since 2019, but the Swindon facility is the first factory in Europe to produce this type of fibre optic cable.
Andy Whale, MD and Chief Engineer of Openreach said: “We intend to build the furthest, fastest and to the highest quality of any network builder in the UK, and to do that we’re forming strong partnerships with innovative companies like AFL and Fujikura.
“We're already investing heavily in the south west where 3,400 Openreach people live and work and we're delighted our investment now extends to supporting local jobs and growth in our supply chain."
Fujikura’s investment in the facility will create new jobs in Swindon and the surrounding region including highly skilled engineering roles.