Redefining our Christmas customs, with a little help from our Full Fibre elves

“Christmas may be a little different this year” is the opening line of CityFibre’s Christmas video, and for many of us things are already a bit different in the lead up to the celebrations. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that our usual customs and traditions can still happen, albeit in a different way, thanks to the joy that is a reliable broadband connection.

Deck the halls (in November!)

I had a group Zoom call last week with my friends and some of us were showing off our Christmas decorations – which we put up in November! This was a first for the majority of us, as we look to bring as much joy to the end of, what has been a tough, and unexpected, year. If you take a look at social media, it seems we aren’t alone here! Lockdown has given us the perfect excuse.

Normally at this time of year, I would be meeting various friends and family over a mulled wine at the Christmas market, reflecting on the past year’s highlights (and mistakes!) and discussing who gets the name tag of ‘hardest to buy a gift for’. I love hearing everyone’s festive plans and gift ideas. Thanks to digital technology, we are able to modify our traditions and connect virtually.

Rocking around the ‘virtual’ tree

Just because many of us are working from home, with restrictions on the numbers able to meet in public, it doesn’t mean Christmas is cancelled. I will miss seeing my colleagues in person; however, I know I won’t miss lining up for a taxi in the rain or walking into work the next day with the dread of being the butt of the jokes after one too many champagnes and dodgy dance moves! Instead, we’re embracing virtual drinks and a round of Secret Santa to bring some cheer, plus a Christmas jumper fashion show and competition for the most unusual piece.

Where would we be without the digital world? It would certainly be a far less friendly and interactive Christmas, that’s for sure.

Cosy nights in with no buffering

For those unable to take part in these virtual social gatherings with ease, as a result of a poor and unreliable broadband connection, it can be frustrating to say the least. I know a full fibre connection is at the top of many Christmas lists this year.

Few seem to fully grasp what full fibre connectivity actually means until they realise their current service isn’t up to scratch, which is increasingly the case as we are forced to work and play from home. Currently, much of the UK is using a copper-based legacy network and, at present, only around 16% of the country has access to full fibre networks. Full fibre networks differ from what most of the country currently has in that they use fibre optic cables to connect the exchange directly to each home.

These networks can deliver gigabit-capable speeds – that’s a dramatic upgrade on what most people currently use and makes all sorts of tasks much easier in terms of speeds and data handling. For example, the gamers in the household will no longer have to wait hours for their new Christmas gift to download, and when they are playing online, they will experience virtually no buffer or lag, even if their siblings are streaming Christmas favourites, such as Home Alone and Die Hard, at the same time.

At CityFibre, we are currently constructing a full fibre network across the UK which will transform the digital experience for almost every home and business.

Have a holly jolly Christmas

Many of us may be at home for Christmas, but thanks to our broadband, we don’t have to be alone. Speaking to friends, I feel we’re more likely to make an effort connecting with our extended families this year, virtually. Instead of falling asleep in front of the TV after eating Christmas dinner, we have arranged to FaceTime the aunts and cousins who would normally stop by at night for a sausage roll and the leftover After Eights. And with a reliable and fast full fibre connection, I know I can reliably say I’ll be online at 8pm, despite all the kids using their new pieces of tech from Santa simultaneously.

I’m dreaming of a WIFI Christmas

Christmas decorations in November and ‘mulled wine over FaceTime’ may have become my ‘new normal’ as we reflect back on 2020 – a challenging time for many that has increased our reliance on good connectivity tenfold. And thanks to full fibre, we don’t have to miss out on any of these moments.

We’d love to hear how your full fibre connection is enabling your experiences this Christmas…

To find out more visit www.cityfibre.com/xmas