British communications infrastructure firm Arqiva has secured £190m (US$325m) from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to upgrade its Wi-Fi network and roll out smart metering services.
The loan will also go towards expanding its digital radio services…
British communications infrastructure firm Arqiva has secured £190m (US$325m) from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to upgrade its Wi-Fi network and roll out smart metering services.
The loan will also go towards expanding its digital radio services and the deployment of a next generation digital video broadcasting platform.
The total cost of the project is estimated by EIB at around £446m (US$760m), and covers key components of the company’s investment programme for 2013-2018.
EIB vice president Jonathan Taylor said: “Continued investment in innovative communications technology is essential to improving connectivity, digital literacy, and consumer choice.
“The European Investment Bank recognises the diverse benefits of investment by Arqiva in the latest transmission equipment that will help reduce energy bills through national use of smart meters and enable dedicated communications for specialist users. This investment builds on the European Investment Bank’s past engagement to support telecommunications across Europe.”
The bank has provided more than €2bn (US$2.7bn) in loans over the last five years to help improve Europe’s communications infrastructure.
