Ipswich becomes one of the UK's best connected towns as CityFibre's Primary-Build completes

CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre network, has completed the primary-build of its full fibre network in Ipswich. The new network is now 'ready for service’ to over 70,000 homes, around 98% of the town’s homes and most businesses. Ipswich is the latest town in CityFibre’s nationwide rollout, making it one of the best-connected locations in the country.

Construction began on the £30m project in 2020 and CityFibre has since laid over 870km of dense full fibre infrastructure across the town. While the primary-build is now complete, CityFibre will continue to explore opportunities to connect more homes and businesses, including flats, new-build homes, business parks and homes on private roads.

Full fibre networks use 100% fibre optics to carry data at light-speed all the way to and from the home and are more than five time more reliable than legacy copper-based broadbandⁱ. CityFibre’s network offers download and upload speeds of up to 2.5Gbps and is capable of supporting symmetrical speeds of up to 10Gbps in the future. That is over 36 times faster than the UK’s average download speeds of 69.4Mbps and more than 136 times faster than the UK’s average upload speed of 18.4Mbpsⁱⁱ.

Residents in Ipswich can enjoy affordable, gigabit-capable and reliable full fibre broadband from a wide range of internet service providers (ISPs) including Vodafone, TalkTalk, Giganet, IDNet, Zen and many others.

Neil Madle, Partnership Manager at CityFibre, said: “Our rollout in Ipswich makes it one of the best-connected towns in the UK, unlocking incredible opportunities for residents and businesses alike. Having access to the UK’s best available full fibre network will transform how people work, learn and stay connected, while also boosting the local economy.

“This investment future-proofs Ipswich’s digital infrastructure, ensuring the town remains competitive, innovative, and ready to embrace new opportunities in a rapidly evolving digital world.”

Neil MacDonald, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council, said: “The completion of CityFibre’s full fibre network is fantastic news for our town. In an increasingly digital world, reliable, high-speed connectivity is now a necessity for residents, businesses and public services to thrive.

“In 2023, 99.4% of Ipswich had access to Superfast Broadband - one of the highest in the UK - making Ipswich a great place for business and home working. This investment will further boost access, strengthening our local economy, creating new opportunities and ensuring Ipswich remains a competitive and attractive place to live and work. I am excited to see how this improved infrastructure will benefit our community for years to come.”

People interested in upgrading their home’s digital connection to full fibre can find out more here.