The trial has the potential to connect up to 8,500 homes and businesses to faster broadband and the technology will also be used to power new 5G masts to connect people in hard-to-reach areas.
Civil works, in particular installing new ducts and poles, can make up as much as four-fifths of the costs to industry of building new gigabit-capable broadband networks.
The 'Fibre in Water' scheme will demonstrate what could be a greener, quicker and more cost-effective way of connecting fibre-optic cables to homes, businesses and mobile masts, without the disruption caused by digging up roads and land.
The network will also be used to set up 5G masts to bring fast and reliable wireless broadband to hard-to-reach communities where wired solutions are too expensive to deliver commercially.
The trail will also explore how fibre can help the water industry detect leaks, operate more efficiently and lower the carbon cost of drinking water.
The trials will...