Coventry’s full fibre transformation makes headway as CityFibre announces new build areas

Coventry’s full fibre transformation is gathering momentum as CityFibre moves into new areas in the north of the city. As the project picks up pace, a second contractor has also been announced. The roll-out of gigabit-capable full fibre infrastructure to nearly every home and business in Coventry is set to accelerate rapidly this summer as construction moves into new areas of the city including parts of Bablake, Radford and Henley. Just six months on since the project began, Callan Connect, a Birmingham-based civil engineering company which has served the telecommunications sector since it was established in 2006, has been announced as a second construction partner. This latest appointment will build on the work being carried out by Morrison Telecom Services, which has so far brought the network within reach of Longford, Upper Stoke, Foleshill and Holbrook and brings at least 50 additional jobs to the local area. Speaking of the appointment, Leigh Hunt, CityFibre’s manager for Coventry, said: “Over the last six months there has been tremendous progress on our plans to bring reliable, high capacity, gigabit-capable broadband within reach of nearly every home and business in Coventry by 2022. “We’re very much looking forward to working with the team at Callan Connect, many of whom are Coventrians with a real passion for digitally transforming their neighbourhoods, as we prepare to scale up our build programme across the city. “Rest assured, we are working closely with our local authority partners as we move into new areas of Coventry and will do all that we possibly can to manage disruption and minimise the time we spend in each location.” Lance Callan, Director at Callan Connect, commented: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with CityFibre and be part of constructing the first aerial city in the UK.” Launched just six months ago, CityFibre’s £60m fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) project in Coventry will provide commercial and residential sites with access to gigabit-speed internet services and is expected to bring significant benefits to the city over the next 15 years. According to research by economic consultancy Regeneris, local homes could increase in value by £101m and another £77m could be added to the local economy through areas such as smart energy networks and intelligent transport systems. Local businesses could unlock £57m through new products, online services and marketing, and another £26m through the benefits of flexible working. New businesses starting up in Coventry could create an additional £29m and work on creating the network could add another £36m in economic growth. Cllr. Richard Brown, Digital Champion at Coventry City Council, said: “Coventry is set to become a beacon of digital transformation as one of the first cities in the UK to benefit from the CityFibre FTTP programme delivered in partnership with Vodafone. Coventry’s existing network will be expanded to nearly every home and business in the city, giving access to broadband services of up to 900mbps to residents across Coventry for the first time. “The council has been working closely with CityFibre on this project and it is fantastic to see it gather momentum with Callan Connect’s appointment just six months in.” CityFibre is continuing to strengthen its partnerships across the city. The company was this year’s official WiFi sponsor at the Godiva Festival and will be present at City of Sport events taking place across Coventry this year. To keep up to date with the Gigabit City network extension in Coventry, visit: www.cityfibre.com/coventry or follow @CityFibre. Coventry residents can connect to the network via Vodafone. To register your interest in Vodafone Gigafast broadband visit: vodafone.co.uk/gigafast/register ENDS Issued on behalf of CityFibre by Weber Shandwick, PR Consultants for CityFibre. For more information or images, contact: Laura McLean at lmclean@webershandwick.com or on 0141 343 3259