From the Peterborough CORE blog: What difference does a Gigabit make?

What difference has Gigabit made to businesses that already have it?

On average, Gigabit cities see a 2% increase in GDP with thousands of new jobs created for residents as existing businesses expand and new companies are attracted to the area. This summer, businesses in Peterborough are set to join the Gigabit revolution as the city gets equipped with connectivity at up to 1000Mbps – 10-100 times faster than most existing connections. The Peterborough CORE project will create a step change in the way that organisations in Peterborough do business. This major infrastructure project is designed to future-proof the city from Fengate to Hampton, form Lynchwood to the Ortons. Businesses across Peterborough will feel the benefits of a faster and more reliable internet experience.

Leading the way

One of the first cities to adopt gigabit internet was Stockholm in Sweden, the birthplace of both Skype and Spotify. Since the introduction of the ultrafast internet, the Scandinavian city has benefited from an explosion of business parks catering for high tech, innovative small companies, helping the local economy through the creation of new jobs.

Global picture

Google is currently bringing gigabit speed internet to Kansas in the US. Tech start-ups are flocking to the state to take advantage of the superfast connection. Buildings offering gigabit internet are in high demand as companies eagerly look to benefit from the ultrafast connection.

Closer to home

One UK city that is already hooked up to the Gigabit network is York. With a Council leader aiming to position York as a top five UK economy, ultrafast connectivity was essential for the area. Since the installation, local businesses in York have reported a number of benefits of access to ultrafast internet. Legend Club Management Systems is based in one of York’s Business Parks and provides leisure management software for organisations such as health clubs, leisure centres and universities. The company works extensively with remote clients, operating central servers and a busy call centre. The growth potential of the company was severely restricted by standard broadband connectivity; however, since making the switch to gigabit, Legend has found that the reliable connection and gigabit speeds offers potential for expansion and scalability. The company has also been able to streamline operations with the call centre now communicating via a lag free internet phone system, improving service and saving money.

Enabling expansion

Another company in York feeling the benefits of gigabit speed is e-commerce specialist PureNet. Clients of the company require constant access to PureNet servers for tasks such as previewing and testing, while onsite staff need very fast, reliable internet access. The company is based in an area of York where standard internet connectivity is poor. The only solution open to the company before the York CORE project took place was an expensive leased line, which only marginally improved connectivity. Access to the gigabit connection through CityFibre has allowed the company to expand its offices and services.

Joining the revolution

The installation of a gigabit line is straightforward according to York-based hosting company Bytemark, who has signed up to the York CORE network. Installation requires a small dig as the new connection is put in place and takes only a couple of days. Because the gigabit connection is separate to the existing connection, there’s no disruption to the internet service. Bytemark’s co-founder, Peter Taphouse, reports that CityFibre responded quickly during the installation process with queries answered promptly and all tasks completed on schedule.

Don’t get left behind

Route planning for the Peterborough CORE project is currently underway. To make sure your business doesn’t get left behind, sign up now: peterboroughcore.com.