CityFibre gets digging for Dundee’s digital transformation

Work to transform Dundee into one of the world’s best digitally connected cities has started.

Dundee is celebrating a major milestone in its digital transformation as work begins to extend its full fibre network to reach almost every home and business in the city.

As part of a £40m private investment from CityFibre, Dundee will benefit from the state-of-the-art full fibre network roll-out. According to research from economic consultancy Regeneris, full fibre connectivity will have a major impact in Dundee over the next 15 years. It shows that up to £27m could be added to the value of local homes, while Smart City initiatives could add as much as £32m locally.

Access to full fibre could also unlock £30m in business productivity and innovation, while a further £13m in growth could be driven from new business start-ups, with enhanced connectivity making it easier and less expensive to set up base and run efficiently.

The full fibre network is not yet live, but once activated, services will be available from a range of Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with a number of ISPs, including Vodafone and TalkTalk, to deliver next generation broadband services.

Construction work has officially commenced in the Lochee area. GCU UK Limited is delivering the construction programme on CityFibre’s behalf. The contractor, who is already working on the Aberdeen and Inverness build projects, is using modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly.

Meanwhile, CityFibre is working closely with key stakeholders and local communities to manage disruption and ensure a fast and successful rollout. Residents are being kept informed by mailings ahead of works in their streets.

Allan McEwan, CityFibre’s City Manager for Dundee, said: “For people across Dundee, their digital future is just around the corner. Work is now underway and that is something to be celebrated. Full Fibre broadband will help households access all the latest entertainment at lightning speed, but the benefits are far deeper than that – from enabling smart home technology to giving people the freedom to work from home with ease.

“The investment also comes at a critical time for Dundee’s business community. Next generation Full Fibre connectivity can drive innovation and productivity, ultimately giving businesses the platform they need to realise their growth ambitions. And it won’t just improve business locally – it will also help businesses take their products or services to an international audience.”

Alison Henderson, Chief Executive of Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce, said: "Investment in infrastructure is hugely important in enabling Dundee to move forward. As we’ve seen in 2020, many more people are working from home and that flexibility in working habits is definitely going to be adopted as a way forward. Home and workplace broadband speeds, coupled with network resilience and good connectivity remain vital features in giving everyone choice.

“We’re very pleased to see this investment which will future-proof Dundee and allow businesses to improve productivity, invest in their own technology and equip people with the right tools to do their jobs, now and in the coming years.”

Currently, fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) is only available to around 16 per cent of premises across the UK. It is revered as the best in connectivity for its speed, near unlimited bandwidth and reliability. By using fibre optic cables for every stage of the connection from the customer’s home or business to the Internet, users will be offered a significantly superior and more reliable broadband service, capable of Gigabit speeds (1,000 Mbps).

If residents are interested in full fibre broadband, they can pre-register interest with CityFibre and will receive information when services are available. To pre-register interest, visit: cityfibre.com/residential