Fluidata says BIM drives need for faster business broadband

Building information modelling (BIM) is driving demand for high-speed broadband among many UK businesses, according to internet service provider (ISP) Fluidata.

BIM is a system utilised in building design projects, covering everything from the initial plans to the structure's entire lifecycle. Among the high-profile landmarks to have been designed using this process are Wembley Stadium and Swansea Bridge.

Fluidata claimed larger companies that have super-fast broadband connections are already making use of the technology, but smaller firms - particularly those based in rural areas - are often unable to do so.

This is because users need to access centrally-held data, which requires fast upstream and downstream speeds when people are working at different geographical sites.

"Digital technologies (like BIM) have the capacity to be great levellers for society, but before they can be the 'digital divide' that characterises our broadband landscape will have to narrow," commented Alastair Rickey of Fluidata.

Earlier this year, the ISP announced a joint initiative with Independent Fibre Networks to deliver the UK's largest publicly-available 1Gbps fibre-to-the-home broadband infrastructure, which serves 50,000 properties at 20 sites across the UK.