Tuesday 4 October 2011
Get to the heart of the action with Countdown to London 2012
The world's biggest sporting event is only 10 months away. So we're very much under starter's orders now. As the official telecommunications infrastructure partner for London 2012, it's a fantastic undertaking for us. But while it's extremely important that we deliver for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, it's equally important that we maintain service for all our customers, wherever they are. That's why we have developed a special newsletter, called Countdown to London 2012, that is designed to keep you up to date with progress in the lead up to the Opening Ceremony on 27 July 2012.
Countdown to London 2012 will come out every two months and each issue will include updates on our processes in the run up to the Games, as well as information about the impact on the transport infrastructure, security and other important aspects of what's happening and what these mean to you before, during and after the event.
We hope this will help you with your own plans, and provide information to help communicate to your own customers what's being done to protect non-Games services while preparing for London 2012.
Our sales teams have been busy over the last few weeks, presenting the first issue of Countdown to London 2012 to customers. If you've not yet seen a copy, please contact your Sales and Relationship Manager. The first issue is also available to download from our portal with the second issue lined up for early October 2011.
It's all about teamwork
We're representing the UK and the communications industry and, like the athletes, we have been preparing for London 2012 for a number of years. Behind the scenes, and away from the cameras, an army of professionals and 70,000 volunteers are also preparing to make their own contribution to London 2012.
London's reputation as a leading world city, as well as the country's as a whole, will be greatly enhanced if the 5.2 million expected visitors, including VIPs and journalists from around the world, have the best possible experience. This is true whether they're using accommodation or hospitality, travelling on public transport or watching events, or using communications services to access results or keep in touch with friends and family at home.
Away from London, millions of people will participate in the Games as viewers and fans – on televisions, PCs or mobile devices. Millions more are expected to keep up with the action in real time in the workplace. London 2012 will be the first truly connected Games.
Olympic Athletes' Village approaching the finish line
The Openreach teams working on the Athletes' Village in Stratford have hit the home straight and marked a major milestone recently. They connected the first apartment with fibre all the way from the exchange to the athletes' accommodation, and installed and tested all the equipment. Overall, 75 per cent of the 2,818 apartments are fully installed with fibre and copper pair connections. We need to provide Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) to all 2,818 apartments by January 2012 and we're making great progress.
As well as providing thousands of homes for athletes and officials during the Games, the Athletes' Village will also leave a lasting legacy for London. From 2013, it will transform into a lively residential community featuring an Education Academy, community and healthcare facilities, and huge swathes of parks and open spaces.
Future-proof shopping
Just a javelin throw from the Games, another landmark has been achieved as Westfield Stratford City, Europe's largest urban shopping centre, opened its doors for the first time on Tuesday 13 September. The spanking new development in East London covers a staggering 1.9million sq ft of retail and leisure space – including 250 stores, 70 restaurants, a hotel, a casino and a bowling alley. And it's underpinned by the very best communications infrastructure available.
Openreach is proud to be Westfield Stratford City's telecommunications infrastructure partner. As you'd imagine, it's been a massive project and we've deployed more than 2,500 copper pairs and 26 large Ethernet circuits. And we've future-proofed the centre by putting in blown fibre tubing technology.
For more information on our involvement with London 2012, visit the Openreach portal or contact your Sales and Relationship Manager.