KTL completes planning approval and legal access for BT sites to boost coverage and capacity

KTL recently completed planning approval and legal access for three of fifteen new sites to rectify existing coverage gaps for the BT Group, with a further 10 sites to be acquired by the end of August based on existing forecasts, according to Ioannis Arvanitakis, Project Director KTL.

BT are one of the world’s leading communication services companies, with their strategy being the most trusted connector of people and machines.

These initial sites are scheduled to be fully completed by June of 2023 and will provide BT with the capacity to ensure their corporate customer’s network is enhanced. In addition, it will bolster the groups wider network supporting the ever-increasing demand for daytime data, which has doubled since COVID-19 according to BT Group Newsroom.[1]+[2]

This project involved an on-site search using live coverage data to determine the most appropriate locations, which considered acquisition, design, build and coverage. KTL were issued with a DSA (Direct Search Area) form for each location, which specifies the background to the issue and the target coverage area. This, in turn, facilitated our Acquisition Surveyor in developing a desktop assessment that sought to identify existent shareable structures, and the potential for new rooftop, greenfield and streetworks options. This was undertaken to analyse planning history and land ownership to ensure that the relevant sites produced the optimum results for the client.

KTL implemented a ‘twin-track approach’ to the acquisition of new sites, to ensure that in the event of a possible failure to acquire a specific site, a viable alternative is always readily available to be developed. KTL’s ‘Right First Time’ ethos, which encapsulates our commitment to Health, Safety, Environment and Quality served as the central guide for the project.

Arvanitakis added that the positive progress to-date cements our strong partnership with BT to improve their corporate customers’ network. KTL’s Project Managers, Acquisition Surveyors and Designers have successfully delivered results for the BT Group and their corporate customers, which has “provided the team with a sense of achievement and the determination to continue to help improve BT’s network”.

KTL has a proven track record over a 25-year period of delivering end-to-end services to our telecommunications clients. This has enabled us to become an industry leader for network rollouts, site builds and site upgrades. BT, who employ 98,400 employees throughout their organisation, strive to provide strong connectivity to both families and businesses throughout the UK.[3]

To find out more about KTL services go to: https://www.ktl.ie/services

[1] BT Group Newsroom – “Keeping customers connected in lockdown and beyond” - https://newsroom.bt.com/keeping-customers-connected-in-lockdown-and-beyond/#_ftn1 [2] BT Group – “Our strategy” - https://www.bt.com/about/bt/our-company/our-strategy#converged-network [3] BT Group – Financial Times - https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/profile?s=BT.A:LSE