With work in Leeds due to start in the New Year, CityFibre and Vodafone are accelerating Britain’s shift away from copper, bringing full fibre infrastructure to one million UK homes and businesses by 2021.
Leeds has been named as one of the first UK locations to benefit from city-wide full fibre connectivity following the announcement of private investment totalling nearly £120m from CityFibre. This future proof infrastructure is expected to deliver millions in economic benefits for the city including £192m in boosted productivity and innovation, £92m in new business start-ups and £255m in increased housing wealth.
CityFibre is working closely with Leeds City Council to plan and co-ordinate the build so it maximises the benefits of full fibre for the wider community. The new infrastructure will build on CityFibre’s existing Gigabit network in the city, which spans over 117km and already connects hundreds of organisations including Leeds Beckett University Business Centre, West Yorkshire Playhouse and St Georges Crypt.
Full fibre connectivity will enable people across the city to receive superior and more reliable broadband services, capable of Gigabit speeds (1,000 Mbps). Vodafone will use CityFibre’s network to bring Vodafone Gigafast Broadband to customers, delivering affordable fibre connections – retailing for as little as £23 – all the way to their home or business.
Greg Mesch, CEO at CityFibre, said: “We are committed to making Leeds one of the best-connected digital cities in the UK. Building on our existing investment, which has connected schools, businesses and public sectors across the city, we are now committed to bringing this digital capability to homes and businesses throughout Leeds.
“The full fibre age is taking hold across the UK with CityFibre leading the charge. Britain has outgrown its outdated copper infrastructure and now needs fibre to take it into a digitally competitive economic future.”
Vodafone UK Chief Executive Nick Jeffery added: “Overhauling the nation’s broadband is a vital undertaking that we’re proud to be a part of. By bringing the benefits of full fibre to more and more cities and towns, from Stirling to Southend-on-Sea, one million homes across the country can benefit from this world-class technology.”
With the full support of Leeds City Council, work on installing the new full fibre infrastructure will begin in the New Year. CityFibre will use modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly, while minimising disruption to residents. Once completed, almost all businesses, and for the first time, homes, in Leeds will have full fibre access.
Cllr James Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive member for resource and sustainability said: “Leeds City Council is delighted to hear about CityFibre’s ambitious plans to develop a new full fibre network in Leeds. Encouraging and facilitating investment from private sector providers like CityFibre is an important part of our strategy to help us realise our ambition that all premises in the district, residential and commercial, are able to access gigabit capable services and take advantage of new technologies and new ways of living and working.
“Our Inclusive Growth Strategy sets out our ambitions for Leeds to be recognised as a digital city where a strong economy ensures that everyone in our city can reach their full potential. CityFibre join other key institutions who have made pledges to signal their ongoing commitment to Leeds and to investing their time and resources to make it the best city in the UK to live, work, study and do business.”
Construction has already commenced in the partnership’s launch cities – Milton Keynes, Peterborough and Aberdeen – and services are now live for the first customers in Milton Keynes, with Vodafone already taking orders for its Gigafast service.
To find out more about CityFibre and its Fibre to the Home roll-out, visit www.cityfibre.com/residential
To find out more about Vodafone’s Gigafast Broadband service, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/gigafast
