Gigabit Voucher Scheme gives Manchester's Victorian warehouse, 21st Century connectivity.
An internet revolution is taking place as the Bonded Warehouse becomes the first 19th century building in the UK with 10Gbps (10,000Mbps) capable internet thanks to Telcom and the DCMS Gigabit Voucher Scheme
One of Manchester’s oldest warehouses, the refurbished Bonded Warehouse dates back to the 1860s and only had access to very basic internet infrastructure. The building, owned by Allied London has become recognised as the place in Manchester for enterprise, creativity and innovative working and is the first addition to the new St John’s project. Having a world class internet infrastructure was essential to attracting and retaining tenants.
Bonded Warehouse developer Allied London and property managing agent OBI Property, were keen to have full fibre infrastructure in the building, as this would enable them to offer their tenants the very best connectivity available today. Perhaps unsurprisingly, ultrafast connectivity is considered a top priority when considering where to house your business, however having full fibre to the premise (FTTP) or a dedicated leased line can often be seen as cost prohibitive and landlords are put off investing in the installation. Allied London contacted Telcom to provide a solution and with the introduction of the DCMS Gigabit Voucher Scheme, Telcom were able to build a solution that meant costs were significantly reduced.
During the consultation phase, Telcom identified that a Gigabit Voucher Scheme group project would be the best way to proceed. The DCMS Scheme allows large scale projects to access funding in order to provide the infrastructure required to offer Gigabit ready connectivity. A proposal to use diverse fibre routes to the building and blown fibre to each unit within the building was submitted to DCMS and promptly approved. Each tenant demise was given a data cabinet housing their router and active equipment, whilst premium WiFi access points enabled instant access to subsidised packages ranging from 100Mbps to 10Gbps.
The Bonded Warehouse has been redesigned and reconfigured to be the enterprise hub for small to medium sized businesses. Given the diversity of tenants The Bonded Warehouse attracted, it was important we chose a flexible, innovative internet provider. Telcom understood our vision and helped us achieve far more than we thought was possible from an internet provider. I cannot fault their work and the tenants are all extremely happy.
Gabriel Erinle
Operations Director, Allied London
Prospective tenants are increasingly asking about internet options in buildings. Not only did the cutting edge, ultrafast internet aid the letting process of each unit, Telcom did a fantastic job of standardising each installation, allowing me to confidently explain to each tenant what they would receive whilst also being able to guarantee an install prior to their move in date. The Gigabit Voucher scheme which ensured the tenants install was free was a huge bonus too.
Martin Gizzie
Building Consultant, OBI Property
Tenants started moving in August 2018. From All Work and Social a co-working space to Manchester Camerata - one of the UK’s leading orchestra’s, over 20 businesses have now benefited from transformational 10Gbps connectivity. For one tenant who produce a major primetime BBC TV show, access to gigabit capable service means they are able to send and receive their large video files at the same time, allowing them to work three times faster than previously.
If you’re interested in bleeding edge fibre in your property, take a look at https://telcom.uk/preconnect