LONDON -- BSkyB (Sky) now has the capability to reach over 70 per cent of UK households thanks to support from telent, a leading provider of technology services. In just over one year since launch, Sky Broadband has become the UK’s fastest growing ISP and now provides high-speed broadband to over 700,000 Sky customers. In achieving this milestone, telent has supported Easynet, Sky’s broadband infrastructure division, in its on-going Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) programme.

As the network services partner for Sky’s LLU programme, telent installs and commissions Easynet’s ADSL platform and associated equipment into BT exchanges across the country. The ongoing contract also sees telent marshalling, integrating, configuring and testing equipment in its Contract Marshalling Centre before rollout to the field. In addition, telent is providing first line maintenance and 24/7 support for Easynet’s ADSL portfolio.

“This is a fantastic achievement for telent and is testament to our hard work and commitment over the past twelve months,” comments Eldon Garnett, head of field services. “We have a long-standing history of delivery in this field, having installed over 5,000 access platforms and managed over 1,550 Sky Broadband enabled exchanges through out the UK - all of which has allowed us to help Easynet achieve this milestone.”

Trevor Legg, Easynet’s network implementation director, says: “Such has been the strong demand for Sky’s great value broadband as part of its See, Speak, Surf suite of services, it was essential that we were able to deliver against Sky’s aggressive LLU targets. Both telent and Easynet are very experienced in deploying large scale access solutions within the UK, which has helped us deliver against our commitment - the capability to provide Sky Broadband to 70 per cent of the UK population.”

“telent has continued to deliver high levels of service and we are looking forward to continuing our partnership,” adds Trevor.

telent plc (London: TLNT)