CityFibre introduces Dame Rosie Winterton MP to full fibre works transforming Doncaster’s digital connectivity

With construction of Doncaster’s full fibre network well underway, CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, recently welcomed the Rt Hon Dame Rosie Winterton DBE, Member of Parliament for Doncaster Central, for a tour of the works in Edenthorpe, giving her a closer look at the £25m citywide project.

During the visit, representatives from CityFibre and build partner Heneghans introduced Dame Winterton to full fibre digital infrastructure and provided demonstrations of the typical build process, including excavation and reinstatement.

Full fibre networks, unlike the majority of the digital infrastructure accessible to households today, use 100% fibre optic infrastructure to carry data at light speed all the way from the home to the point of connection. This gives users speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps for upload and download, near limitless bandwidth and reliable connectivity.

Natalie Ward, CityFibre’s Area Manager for Doncaster, said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome Dame Winterton to see the progress of our full fibre network in Doncaster first-hand. It’s fantastic to have her support as we deliver digital infrastructure that enables the fastest and most reliable broadband services available. According to recent Hatch research, in Doncaster alone, our network is expected to unlock £215million in productivity and innovation, as well as deliver a £125million increase in house value.”

Commenting on the progress of CityFibre’s £25m project, the Rt Hon Dame Rosie Winterton, DBE, said: “The potential benefits this investment will bring to Doncaster and our local communities are huge. I am delighted to have had a glimpse ‘behind the scenes’ and to learn all about the work that goes into delivering infrastructure of this scale.”

Construction is being delivered by build partner Heneghans on behalf of CityFibre. The team is using a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Doncaster Council and local communities to deliver a fast rollout while managing potential disruption.

As the network is completed in each neighbourhood, CityFibre will designate the homes ‘ready for service’, which means residents can choose to connect to full fibre-enabled broadband services when they go live in their area.

In Doncaster, customers can sign up to UK launch partner, Vodafone, as well as Zen, Air Broadband, EdenOak Ltd, Giganet, IDnet, Octaplus, Pure, Quickline, TalkTalk, Trunk and Yayzi with other providers expected to join the network soon. 

Residents interested in giving their home broadband a boost can find out more about the build and register their interest here.