Lee Murphy, Managing Director of Liverpool-based Internet Service Provider (ISP) FACTCO talks through the misconceptions of full fibre, how he sees LCR Connect will benefit businesses across the region, as well as creating opportunities we can’t possibly imagine for future generations…
Tell us about your business Lee, and how you became involved in the LCR Connect project?
We are an ISP with strong experience and credentials. Having started out providing voice solutions to businesses, we created a team of connectivity specialists to help bridge the digital gap between rural and urban areas. As an ISP we design, install, maintain, and support full fibre connections. We currently serve both business and residential customers across the north of England. We have teamed up with full fibre provider ITS (one of the JV partners) as part of this new initiative. We are here to help businesses take full advantage of the benefits associated with accessing LCR Connect, which simply put, is a transformational full fibre network for the region.
In your experience, what digital/connectivity challenges do businesses in the region currently face?
The challenges in this region are similar to those experienced across the country. While great strides are being made to upgrade to full fibre, there are still many served by copper lines that date back to 1877! This 19th Century technology was only designed to carry voice, not to handle data. LCR Connect changes this completely by opening up full fibre to tens of thousands of businesses.
I think it’s also important to add that there are some misconceptions when it comes to fibre. Some consumers believe they have full fibre when in reality they don’t. Most fibre broadband in this country is an FTTC product (Fibre To The Cabinet) which still relies on a copper connection in to their house or business. For example, Liverpool City Centre still does not have full fibre broadband. As such people and businesses are having to pay for products like wireless broadband which, while the quality has improved over the years, is not comparable to using full fibre.
LCR Connect opens up fast, reliable and economical true full fibre products that have not been available previously.
What will LCR Connect allow you to do that you haven’t been able to tackle before?
This network will help us to go to market with super competitively priced full fibre services that haven’t been available across the region. There are a number of businesses in the area that have needed reliable, ultrafast connectivity that have had to pay a high price to secure it.
Click here to find out how your business can benefit from LCR Connect’s full fibre.
