CityFibre makes key appointment to lead Derby’s digital transformation

CityFibre has today named its city manager for Derby as it prepares to start work on a £45m project that will see almost every home and business benefit from access to a full fibre broadband network.

Derby has been chosen as one of the latest cities to benefit from CityFibre’s national Gigabit City Investment Programme rollout, which will bring next-generation, gigabit-speed broadband to nearly every home and business in the city.

Dominika Walker has been appointed by CityFibre to spearhead delivery of the Derby project. As the city manager, Dominika will be responsible for ensuring a state-of-the-art full fibre network is implemented with minimal disruption while delivering maximum benefit for the wider community.

Having worked with CityFibre over the past three years to drive community and stakeholder engagement during its network rollout in Coventry and Southend-on-Sea, Dominika brings valuable experience to the role. She also has an extensive background in IT and communications, which she gained during her experience working with software and supply chain brands in the East Midlands region.

Dominika will be the lead point-of-contact for all the city’s stakeholders and will be a key advocate of the benefits that a full fibre network will bring to Derby’s residents and businesses.

Dominika said: “A state-of-the-art digital infrastructure plays a crucial role in growing and protecting local economies, so I’m delighted to be stepping into a new role with an organisation that is doing everything it can to transform towns and cities across the country.

“The benefits of full fibre connectivity are huge, not just for businesses, but residents too. I’m looking forward to working in partnership with Derby City Council and other stakeholders from across the city to ensure that we maximise on all the opportunities. At the same time, I’m determined to ensure that the local community is with us every step of the way and understand the difference that full fibre broadband can have now, and in the future.”

With the full support of Derby City Council, work to extend Derby’s full fibre network dramatically is expected to begin in late spring. CityFibre will use modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly and manage disruption to residents.

Once completed, nearly every home and business in the city will have full fibre access, and as the network goes live, services will be available from 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.

Andy Starnes, Head of City Development at CityFibre, added: “We are thrilled that Dominika has taken on this new role and will be using her experience to drive the city project forward for the benefit of its residents and businesses.

“Our ‘fibre to the premises’ programme is going to be a game changer in Derby and nobody is better placed than Dominika to drive home the message and help people discover more about the impact this investment will have on their city’s digital future.”

To find out more about CityFibre’s Gigabit City vision for Derby, visit cityfibre.com/gigabit-cities and to discover career opportunities, visit: cityfibre.com/careers