CityFibre granted wayleaves to connect over one million local authority and housing association premises

• Wayleaves enable millions of people in homes owned by local authority and housing associations to upgrade easily to full fibre.
• Access to new networks will help address the digital divide, supporting an equitable rollout of full fibre.
• Wayleaves have been granted by organisations such as Places for People, Thirteen Group, and Sheffield City Council.

CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, has so far secured wayleaves to connect over a million homes owned by local authorities and housing associations. The wayleaves will ensure households will be able to upgrade their broadband to a full fibre service without requiring them to personally secure permission from their landlord.

Wayleave agreements are a crucial requirement to connect a home or business to a new digital network. They provide the installers with permission to undertake the physical connection of the network to the premises. Many tenants are legally required to ensure a landlord has granted permission for the installation to take place. With wayleaves secured in advance by CityFibre, people wanting to upgrade to a faster and more reliable full fibre network can do so quickly and easily.

CityFibre has worked closely with major housing associations including Places for People, Thirteen Group, and Sheffield City Council to secure wayleaves for more than one million of their properties. This collaborative approach ensures that people from every part of the community can benefit from the advantages of full fibre connectivity, helping address the digital divide and supporting an equitable rollout of the new digital infrastructure.

Helen Ivison, Utility Infrastructure Manager from Places for People said: “Having recently carried out digital inclusion research with the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, we understand in detail the challenges that the cost of living has had on people’s ability to remain online. We heard that access to the internet is a lifeline. In a modern society, few can avoid using it and we rely on it for so many day-to-day tasks, even if it’s not everyone’s preferred way to communicate.

“We know that fourteen million people in the UK have low digital capability and closing the digital divide won’t be easy. But through partnerships and long-term commitments, like the one we have with CityFibre, we can help to close this gap and support our customers to thrive in our communities.”

Sanjay Sudra, Head of Wayleave Field Services at CityFibre said: “World class digital infrastructure is no longer a luxury, it is now an essential utility that everyone needs to have access to. From managing household services and accessing employment, to staying in touch with friends and family, rock solid home broadband has never been more important.

“Working closely with forward thinking housing associations and local authorities, CityFibre is helping to ensure more people have fair and easy access to quality services, whether they own or rent their home. As we celebrate this landmark achievement, we appreciate there is more work to be done to help as many people as possible access to this next generation of connectivity.”