Virtus partners with Openreach for high speed eernet links

DC13-323 18th September, 2013

Virtus partners with Openreach for high speed ethernet links

Openreach, BT's local access network business, has been selected by UK data centre company Virtus to provide high speed connectivity to its facility in Enfield. Openreach will deliver a dedicated, high capacity fibre link to the site, allowing Virtus and its business customers to access Ethernet backhaul services from more than 200 UK communications providers.

The dedicated fibre link from Openreach will provide a range of high bandwidth options, from 10Mbps up to multiple 10Gbps services. This will allow Virtus' customers to access their mission critical information stored at the data centre via fast, secure and resilient backhaul links.

The deal is one of several similar contracts Openreach expects to sign over the coming months with major UK data centre providers given its rapidly expanding fibre footprint. Openreach already provides high speed Ethernet connectivity to more data centres than any other infrastructure provider in the UK. Its commercial fibre network currently covers more than 16 million premises across the country and this will rise to 19 million or two thirds of UK premises - by the end of Spring 2014.

To take advantage of its status as the UK's largest fibre network provider, Openreach plans to proactively build dedicated fibre links to around 15 data centres throughout the UK in this financial year. As the infrastructure will already be in situ at the data centre, communications providers and their customers can have their backhaul links up and running in a matter of days rather than waiting for the fibre network to be built direct to the data centre.

The open, wholesale nature of Openreach's network means that all UK communications providers can access its fibre network on equivalent terms. This allows data centre companies to offer their business customers high speed Ethernet services from a wide choice of communications providers.

Tim Barclay, MD, Sales, Marketing & Customer Engagement, Openreach said: Today's deal with Virtus is part of a major push into the UK data centre market by Openreach. Our extensive and rapidly expanding fibre network means we are well placed to increase our footprint in this market so we expect to sign more deals over the coming months. We are the ideal partner for data centres looking to adopt a carrier neutral approach given our open, wholesale access model. We're also speeding up the provisioning of our Ethernet services by building fibre links direct to major UK data centres well ahead of any customer orders.

Neil Cresswell, CEO, Virtus, commented: I am delighted that Openreach is delivering a dedicated fibre link direct to our Enfield facility. This supports our strategy in building a thriving and diverse digital ecosystem in our data centres. In addition to a wide range of top class connectivity solutions, the presence of Openreach's high speed fibre optic network in Virtus' data centre allows Virtus' end users to connect to over 200 other network providers and the UK's major internet exchanges. This further enriches our connectivity community offering highly efficient and competitively priced network services .

Openreach's fibre network underpins its Ethernet services portfolio which offers affordable, high bandwidth and secure connectivity, whether that's between two sites or across an entire data network. Openreach's Ethernet services deliver the very low latency needed to support the high speed data exchange requirement of some sectors government and finance, for example as well as the low jitter needed to support the increase in business and mission critical applications.

Openreach is one of only a few providers with a fully resilient route into most UK data centres. Its network is also connected to more data centres than any other provider in the UK.

Ends

Enquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial 44 20 7356 5369. All news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.bt.com/newscentre

More information on Openreach's Datacentres strategy please contact: datacentres@openreach.co.uk

For further information about Virtus Data Centres please contact:

DataCenterIndustryPR

Katrin Naefe

E: katrin.naefe@turtleconsulting.com

Direct: 44 1295 256138

M: 44 7950 629552

About Openreach

Openreach is responsible for the first mile of the UK access network - the copper wires and fibre connecting homes and businesses to their local telephone exchanges. Openreach leads the deployment of BT Group's £2.5bn commercial roll-out of fibre, delivering fibre broadband services to communities across the UK as well as installing and maintaining the communications infrastructure that links homes, businesses, public and voluntary sector organisations to their Communications Providers networks.

About BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Retail, BT Wholesale and Openreach.

In the year ended 31 March 2013, BT Group's revenue was £18,103m with profit before taxation of £2,315m.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New

LINK:	http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ArticleID=B0EFE81F-...
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