CityFibre speeds up Ipswich’s digital transformation

Ipswich’s full fibre transformation is being delivered at pace as CityFibre makes progress across the North West and is expanding out to other parts of the town.

The roll-out of gigabit-capable full fibre infrastructure to nearly every home and business in Ipswich is gaining momentum. Work is well underway in the Castle Hill ward and the Dales Road area as CityFibre’s presence across the North West of the town continues to grow.

Ipswich is among the first locations in the UK to benefit from CityFibre’s Gigabit City investment programme, which is set to invest up to £4bn nationally (£30m in Ipswich) to bring future proof, gigabit speed digital infrastructure to up to eight million homes across the UK.

The network is not yet live, but once activated 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, with TalkTalk expected to join the network soon.

VolkerSmart Technologies is delivering the construction programme on CityFibre’s behalf. As key workers, CityFibre has been asked by the UK Government to continue to expand the nation’s digital capacity. All contractors are being urged to follow the social distancing protocols as outlined by Public Health England to ensure the build partners’ safety.

Charles Kitchin, CityFibre’s City Manager for Ipswich, said: “Since work began in February, we have seen great progress in our mission to bring reliable, high capacity, gigabit-capable broadband within reach of nearly every home and business in Ipswich.

“While the current situation is not without its challenges, we are highly motivated to maintain progress and serve our local community with world class digital infrastructure that will support home-workers in their day-to-day lives and provide fast, reliable broadband services for residents - enabling them to stay connected with loved ones and access online entertainment and services with ease.

“We are also working closely with our local authority partners as we move into new areas of the city and will do all that we possibly can to manage disruption and minimise the time we spend in each location.”

The roll-out will enhance Ipswich’s growing reputation as a digital hub in the UK, with research from economic consultancy Regeneris predicting that full fibre connectivity will have a major impact over the next 15 years. Access to full fibre could drive £32m in economic growth from new business start-ups, with enhanced connectivity making it easier and less expensive to set up base and run efficiently. Smart City initiatives could also add as much as £34m locally.

To find out more about CityFibre’s Gigabit City roll-out, visit: https://www.cityfibre.com/gigabit-cities/

Residents interested in registering their interest in full fibre broadband services can do so here: www.cityfibre.com/residential