BT to open Cornwall fibre broadband training centre

BT is set to open a new centre in Cornwall where it will train engineers to work on the rollout of fibre optic broadband in the south-west county.

The Bodmin facility, which will be unveiled by Openreach chief executive Liv Garfield today (August 31st 2011), will provide training for more than 150 engineers who will then join up with the professionals already employed on the Superfast Cornwall initiative.

Under its plans for the scheme, BT has announced it is looking to bring fibre broadband to 90 per cent of properties in the county and the Isles of Scilly.

"More than 130,000 kilometres of optical fibre will be installed in the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly network," Ms Garfield said. "Engineers will be installing super-fast broadband in tens of thousands of local homes and businesses."

In May, BT announced plans to recruit around 200 former armed forces personnel to assist with its nationwide fibre broadband rollout programme, which aims to connect two-thirds of properties by the end of 2015.