CityFibre introduces Paul Maynard MP to full fibre works transforming Blackpool’s digital connectivity

With construction of Blackpool’s full fibre network well underway, CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, recently welcomed Paul Maynard, MP for Blackpool North, for a tour of the works in Bispham, giving him a closer look at the £60m town-wide project.

During the visit, representatives from CityFibre and build partner, Network Plus, introduced Mr Maynard to full fibre digital infrastructure, the best network technology currently available, 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 cables to carry data at high speed all the way from the home to the point of connection. This gives users consistently faster speeds for upload and download (up to 1,000 Mbps), near limitless bandwidth and connectivity users can depend on.

Steve Thorpe, CityFibre’s Area Manager for Blackpool, said: Rolling out the latest full fibre network in Blackpool is a critical step in fulfilling our ambition to bolster UK towns and cities by making their digital foundations future proof. The potential benefits of better connectivity are vast, and in Blackpool alone the economic benefits are set to be significant, with productivity and innovation benefits expected to reach £167m.

“It was a pleasure to show Mr Maynard our progress, and we look forward to seeing how the next stages of the rollout develop.”

Commenting on the progress of CityFibre’s £60m project, Paul Maynard, MP for Blackpool North, said: “We have been backing CityFibre’s investment in Blackpool since the works began in 2021. Seeing the progress made to date and the enthusiasm behind modernising our infrastructure is promising not only for our people, but also our businesses and educations centres that will benefit greatly from the new full fibre network.”

Construction is being delivered by build partner, Network Plus, on behalf of CityFibre. The team is using a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Blackpool Council and the local community 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 Blackpool, Gigabit-capable services currently available from TalkTalk. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner, Vodafone, to deliver next generation broadband services, as well as TalkTalk, Giganet, Zen and IDNet, with more 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.