CityFibre kick starts Bradford’s Full Fibre transformation

Work to transform Bradford into one of the world’s best digitally connected cities kicks off today.

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

As part of a £75m private investment from CityFibre, Bradford will benefit from the city-wide full fibre network roll-out, meaning its residents and businesses will soon be able to enjoy access to the fastest, most reliable connectivity available.

According to research from economic consultancy Regeneris, full fibre connectivity will have a major impact in Bradford over the next 15 years. It shows that up to £136m could be added to the value of local homes, while Smart City initiatives could add as much as £95m locally. Access to full fibre could also unlock £69m in business productivity and innovation, while a further £40m 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.

Construction work has officially commenced in East Bowling, with the rest of the city set to follow over the next four years. Network Plus is delivering the construction programme on CityFibre’s behalf, using modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly. The team is also working closely with CityFibre, Bradford Council and local communities to manage disruption and ensure a fast and successful roll-out. Meanwhile, residents are being kept informed by mailings ahead of works in their streets.

Kim Johnston, City Manager for Bradford, said: “Bradford is one step closer to becoming a Gigabit City with the commencement of work to install state-of-the-art digital infrastructure across the city. The first homes will soon be able to benefit from Full Fibre, unlocking access to all of the latest entertainment and services at gigabit speeds, with the peace of mind that comes from a reliable connection for seamless homeworking.

“Bradford is one of the youngest cities in the country and CityFibre’s Full Fibre network will be vital in ensuring Bradford has a resilient and dynamic economy for years to come. In addition, it will provide growth opportunities and a platform to support businesses to take their products or services to a national and international audience.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, at Bradford Council, said: “Fast and reliable broadband is so important in the world today, from facilitating digital on-demand content to supporting businesses to grow and flourish. We welcome CityFibre’s investment in fibre technology across the city and district, which will play a key role in supporting Bradford’s digital ambitions and drive economic growth and resilience.”

Currently, fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) is available to less than 20 percent 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).

The full fibre network is not yet live, but once activated, services will be available from purebroadband and an increasing range of broadband providers. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner, Vodafone to deliver next generation broadband services, and TalkTalk is expected to join the network soon.

Residents interested in connecting to full fibre broadband can pre-register their interest at cityfibre.com/residential and they will receive information when services are available.