CityFibre responds to the Government’s announcement on next steps for its £5 billion gigabit broadband plan

The Government has today published its draft procurement strategy for the UK Gigabit Programme, setting out plans to connect the first one million homes and businesses with gigabit speeds and maximise coverage in the hardest to reach 20% of the UK by 2025.

In response, Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, said: “We welcome this announcement about the first stage of the Government’s £5bn rural broadband programme, which will enable every corner of the country to access the digital infrastructure needed to support a new agile, green and balanced economy."

“It is in everyone’s interest to ensure Britain’s consumers and businesses get connected as quickly as possible, regardless of where they are. We are pleased that Government is committed to making this a truly competitive process. This will deliver value for money, unlock additional private investment and speed up rollout. At CityFibre, our UK-wide full fibre rollout to 8 million premises is well underway. We are creating up to 10,000 new jobs, and as we enter our second decade, we are ideally placed to deliver this vital infrastructure across the UK, ensuring nowhere is left behind.”