Hampshire's first 'Project Gigabit' customer connects to CityFibre's full fibre network

CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre network, has connected the first Project Gigabit customers in its Hampshire rollout. The rollout was made possible thanks to £104m from the government’s Project Gigabit, which will enable CityFibre to connect more than 75,000 homes and businesses across the area. CityFibre is also contributing its own investment to deliver the project and bring gigabit capable broadband to even more people.

Project Gigabit is the government-funded programme enabling harder-to-reach communities to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband, reaching parts of the UK that might otherwise miss out on upgrades to next-generation speeds.

In total, over 1.3 million homes and businesses stand to benefit from CityFibre’s Project Gigabit rollout over the next five years which forms part of the company’s commitment to reach more than eight million premises nationwide.

Among the first to be connected in Hampshire is Ray Rowsell, a resident from Hayling Island. Ray’s experience with copper broadband was enough to prompt a switch to full fibre at the first opportunity, citing numerous issues and dropouts with his previous internet service provider (ISP). “I was already aware of the advantages of full fibre, and anything had to be better than my existing old-school copper installation, which would badly impact video calls and conferencing,” said Ray. “So it was a speedy decision.” Ray has opted for Toob’s full fibre service on CityFibre’s network. With symmetrical speeds of 900Mbps, Ray experienced a huge jump in speed and reliability where, on average, Ray’s previous connection achieved just over 22Mbps in download speed.

In addition to experiencing an upgrade in speeds that were “noticeably quicker from the start”, Ray’s experience with CityFibre’s network has since gone from strength to strength. “It's been a non-event,” said Ray, “everything works, it's very quick and no more dropouts!”

Ray’s connection is now much more stable, allowing him to work and connect with others online uninterrupted – something that was previously not possible due to the lack of full fibre infrastructure in the area. The UK government’s investment into Hampshire will unlock faster and more reliable broadband connections for thousands of businesses and residents just like Ray, enabling the area to embrace new levels of connectivity for working, leisure and much more.

Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant, said: “Communities across remote parts of Hampshire will soon see the back of connectivity drop-outs and constant buffering with this installation of lightning-fast broadband.

“We recently launched our Digital Inclusion Action Plan, setting out our next steps to shrink the digital gap. Today’s news is a fantastic example of how a Government-backed contract will help ensure people in rural areas are not left behind and have the tools they need to work and thrive in the digital age.”

Simon Holden, Group Chief Operations Officer at CityFibre, said: “Reliable, high-speed broadband is more than just a convenience, it’s a necessity for work, education and everyday life. Thanks to this investment from Project Gigabit, Hampshire is set to reap the benefits of full fibre and unlock better opportunities for residents and businesses. CityFibre is proud to provide this essential infrastructure to drive digital progress and support the local community’s future.”

Residents and businesses across Hampshire join those in Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk who have already began to connect to CityFibre’s network as part of Project Gigabit.

The subsidy from BDUK compliments CityFibre’s own commercial investment across the area of Havant to enable even more areas of Hampshire to access full fibre broadband. CityFibre’s ‘Project Gigabit’ rollouts are part of the company’s commitment to reach more than 8 million premises nationwide.

Those wanting to sign up to the CityFibre network can see when services are available in their area by using the postcode checker at www.cityfibre.com.