ITS Technology in social housing broadband move

CHESHIRE internet infrastructure company ITS Technology Group has expanded with a deal to buy a controlling stake in a firm specialising in providing broadband to the social housing sector.

The Runcorn-based group a 70% shareholding in CityServe, which delivering access and services to social housing and hard-to-reach households across east Manchester.
 
Roy Shelton, chief executive of ITS said: ”There is a real lack of broadband and internet services on offer to social housing, with many homes deprived of connectivity of any description.

“With the push to get local government services online among other services that require access to the internet, there is a clear disconnect. ITS has developed a solution that fills this digital gap for a number of hard to reach areas across the UK, and the acquisition of CityServe and its footprint in east Manchester, will play a significant role in this region.”
 
Based in Openshaw, CityServe’s wireless broadband covers a 25km² area which includes 48,000 homes. It was developed by Manchester City Council from the government-led ‘wired up communities’ initiative in 2001.

It has expanded its services beyond Manchester and has supplied a wireless CCTV system to Edinburgh City Council.