MS3 Communications has pledged to roll out the first fibre optic broadband network in Hull that is not owned and operated by east Yorkshire-based telecoms firm KC.

The company has secured an agreement with the Humber Bridge Board that will allow it to install fibre optic cables across the structure, linking its commercial network partners on the south bank of the estuary to Hull and the East Riding.

Business customers in Hessle, west Hull and the city centre should be able to access the service during the first quarter of 2012, MS3 Communications claimed.

It is believed the network will cost £12 million to install in the first year.

Mike Harlington, operations and network director at MS3, explained the company has been working on the agreement for almost a year and is "delighted" to have received the green light for its fibre optic broadband deployment.

"We have always wanted to give the people of Hull a choice and that's exactly what we're doing," he commented.

Hull City Council's portfolio holder for finance Phil Webster stated he is "highly delighted" at the prospect of MS3 opening up the local market, which until now has been dominated by KC.

"As part of the council's commitment to attracting business to the city through the new enterprise zones, super-fast broadband was always high on the city's list of priorities to make Hull attractive to investors in new technologies," he added.

This is the latest in a series of announcements regarding the future of broadband infrastructure in Hull and east Yorkshire, with KC currently engaged in a large-scale trial of next-generation access that will see it roll out the technology to 15,000 homes by the end of next year.

The village of Weel is the latest community to be included in the fibre optic broadband pilot scheme, which offers customers speeds of up to 100Mbps and unlimited downloads.

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