CityFibre introduces Simon Lightwood MP to full fibre works transforming Wakefield’s digital connectivity

With construction of Wakefield’s full fibre network well underway, CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, recently welcomed Simon Lightwood MP for a tour of the works in Thornes, Wakefield giving him a closer look at the £27m project.

During the visit, representatives from CityFibre and build partner, O'Connor Utilities Ltd (OCU), introduced Mr Lightwood to full fibre network technology and provided demonstrations of the typical build process, including excavation and reinstatement.

Unlike the majority of the digital infrastructure accessible to households today, full fibre networks 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 reliable connectivity.

Steve Moore, CityFibre’s Area Manager for Wakefield, said: “Our ambition is to bolster UK towns and cities by delivering a state-of-the-art network that will future-proof their digital foundations.

“It’s really exciting to see our network grow with more addresses going live day by day in Wakefield. We cannot wait to see residents, businesses and ISP’s take full advantage of our network and our gigabit capable broadband.”

Commenting on the progress of CityFibre’s £27m project, Simon Lightwood, MP for Wakefield, said: “Modernising our digital infrastructure is so essential for driving economic growth and innovation. It’s brilliant to see first-hand the work that CityFibre is doing to deliver connectivity that will have a tremendous impact on the digital capabilities of both residents and local businesses across Wakefield.”

Cllr Michelle Collins, Cabinet Member for Resources, added: “It’s fantastic to see the progress CityFibre are making with their rollout of full fibre infrastructure across Wakefield. We recognise the hugely important role that this technology will play in the lives of our residents and the prospects of businesses, both now and in the future.

“Full fibre is a building block from which good outcomes flow and we are excited to be able to unlock new ways of delivering services to our communities. The partnership we have built with CityFibre is strong and we look forward to the future successes it will certainly bring to the Wakefield district.”

Construction is being delivered by OCU on behalf of CityFibre. The team is using a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Wakefield 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 Wakefield, customers can sign up to UK launch partner, Vodafone, on selected Vodafone Pro Broadband plans, as well as Air Broadband, IDNet, Octaplus, Networks Limited, Trunk Networks and Yayzi Broadband, with others 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.