Rochford and Rayleigh set to benefit from a £25m digital infrastructure upgrade

CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, has named Rochford and Rayleigh as the next UK towns in line for a multi-million-pound investment in their digital infrastructure – a move that will see the neighbouring towns join the nation’s growing list of full fibre enabled communities.

CityFibre is set to invest £25m in a new network that will bring fast and reliable full fibre-enabled internet services within reach of almost every home and business in the Rochford and Rayleigh areas, including the village of Great Wakering.

Across the UK, CityFibre is building new and better digital infrastructure for up to eight million homes and businesses through its nationwide full fibre rollout.

Full fibre networks, unlike many of the copper-based ‘fibre broadband’ services available today, use 100% fibre optic technology to carry data at light speed all the way from the home to the point of connection. This gives users speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps for upload and download, near limitless bandwidth and connectivity users can depend on.

A full fibre connection also goes far beyond simply enabling access to the latest entertainment at lightning speed. As an essential digital utility, full fibre boosts households and businesses alike, with experts saying it will drive a range of economic benefits, such as making us more productive and innovative.

Construction work on the full fibre network in Rochford will begin imminently, while Rayleigh’s rollout is scheduled to get underway in spring 2023. As work is completed in each neighbourhood, CityFibre will designate the homes ‘ready for service’, which means residents can choose to connect to full fibre-enabled broadband services when they go live in their area.

As Area Manager, Jean Gowin will be responsible for overseeing the project, while also acting as the main point of contact for all stakeholders.

Jean said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the best available digital connectivity to the Rochford, Rayleigh and Great Wakering areas and cannot wait for the local communities to unlock the many benefits of full fibre infrastructure. As our build team installs the network, it’s important to remember that any short-term disruption will pay off tremendously in the long-term – our network will enable residents to enjoy seamless home entertainment experiences and deliver buffer-free broadband for local businesses.”

Speaking about CityFibre’s full fibre rollout plans for Rochford and Rayleigh, Cllr Danielle Belton, Portfolio Holder for Climate & Economy for Rochford District Council said: “It’s fantastic that CityFibre has chosen to upgrade Rochford and Rayleigh’s digital infrastructure. Full fibre will massively boost the local economy by opening up innovation and productivity benefits for businesses. We’re excited to watch as the network gets rolled out.”

In Rochford, Rayleigh and Great Wakering, services will be available from an increasing range of broadband providers. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner Vodafone to supply full fibre infrastructure for customers on selected Vodafone Pro Broadband plans, while TalkTalk, IDNet, Giganet, Zen and other providers are offering services in many parts of the country.

Residents interested in giving their home broadband a boost can find out more about the build and register their interest here.