Environmentally friendly enclosures provide broadband solution

>The scheme will help the region and its residents to profit from a number of environmental benefits. The first phase of the project took off this spring and after the completion of the ground works; the fibre optics were housed in specially Fibre To The Home (FTTH) enclosures, which have specially design, environmentally friendly applications. The B4RN team set out to provide ultra high speed broadband by working with local communities and businesses to deliver broadband connections while looking after its local environment.

>The enclosures, as part of the FTTH structure, will be sited in an area of outstanding natural beauty, which stretches across the historic landscapes of the Forest of Bowland and the Lune Valley. The first enclosure has already been delivered and installed. The Quernmore enclosure located at the Recreation Centre will soon have one of the fastest connections in the world. The green coloured enclosure blends well with the neighbouring views and holds an impressive number of fibres.

>The use of fibre optic cabling is far more environmentally friendly when compared to copper communications ducts. There are reduced resources in manufacturing, transport and installation of cables because of their lightweight and compact nature.

>Steve Blackburn of Rainford Solutions, the St. Helens based company which provided the enclosures, points out: "Electronic equipment needs the correct thermal environment in order to operate correctly. The B4RN enclosures hold complex fibre solutions which must be supported by a robust thermal management system to provide heating and cooling suitable for the equipment. The efficient application of the heat management system allows significant energy conservation."

>The cooling system with its intelligent speed control extends life of the components, lowers costs related with the energy and material consumption, and minimises environmental impact.

>B4RN team member Chris Conder, who is a pioneer of self installation fibre and a regular speaker at broadband events on the topic of rural broadband and DIY fibre build, comments: "It's great to use Rainford Solutions as it fits in with our aim of keeping everything as local as possible. Strange aim when we are connecting to the whole world isn't it?"