A NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS firm which uses the sewer system to build low-cost super-fast fibre- optic networks plans to take on 130 staff in the next year.

The i3 Group will almost treble its number of UK employees to 200, mostly through the recruitment of commercial managers and engineers.

It will also move to larger headquarters on The Parks, in Newton-le-Willows, to accommodate its expansion.

Elfed Thomas, i3 Group chief executive, believes the expansion is necessary to keep pace with the sector’s growth.

He said: “The Government is backing the move towards a national super-fast communications network and believes this to be key to the economic recovery and to enable British businesses to compete on the world stage.

“This vision is being reflected in our forward order book, which is why our expansion is necessary.

“Alongside our UK expansion, we are seeing our international partnerships grow as the need for super-fast connectivity in developed countries, and infrastructure in underdeveloped regions, drives businesses, municipalities and governments to seek new solutions.”

The i3 Group lowers the cost and increases the speed of building next-generation communications networks by using innovative technologies which avoid the high costs and disruption associated with road digging.

Its division, Fibrecity, a super- fast national fibre-optic technology platform in the UK, will deliver a fibre-to-the-home experience that is capable of delivering next-generation services.

Fibrecity is building 10 town and city-wide fibre networks across the UK over the next decade. This infrastructure sees two fibres installed to each property that connects to the Fibrecity network.

One fibre acts as a platform to enable homeowners to benefit from paid-for services including broadband of up to 100Mbps, while a separate 40Mbps fibre is dedicated to the council and will be used to deliver local services such as community TV.

The firm is also creating Fibrezones, a fibre-optic cable ring deployed around a business sector, campus, town or city to which businesses and other organisations can connect.

Organisations within the catchment area of the Fibrezone will only have to lay short links to reach the fibre ring and to benefit from unlimited super-fast connectivity. The model significantly lowers the cost and time of building fibre-optic networks.