City communications
'Project Gigabit' work begins in Sussex to connect rural areas to full fibre
9 January 2025
City communications
CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent carrier-neutral full fibre platform, has named Rugby as the next UK town in line for a multi-million-pound investment in its digital infrastructure – a move that will see it join the nation’s growing list of full fibre enabled communities.
CityFibre is set to invest £17m in a new town-wide network that will bring fast and reliable full fibre-enabled internet services within reach of almost every home and business locally.
Nationally, 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 (up to 1,000 Mbps), 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 Rugby is being delivered by Callan Connect and is scheduled to begin in September. 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. Work is set to be ongoing until early 2024.
As Area Manager, Neal Wright will be responsible for overseeing the project, while also acting as the main point of contact for all stakeholders.
Neal said: “Full fibre is becoming increasingly available across the UK as a result of investment from companies like CityFibre. Because of this, demand for this faster, more resilient and more reliable digital infrastructure is growing rapidly as home broadband users seek to future-proof their connectivity for the technological developments ahead.
“We’re really excited to be extending our rollout to Rugby and ensuring its communities can benefit from full fibre too – in the near term and in the decades ahead. We cannot wait for residents and businesses to see what is possible with digital connectivity that propels you forward rather than holds you back.”
Speaking of CityFibre’s full fibre rollout plans for Rugby, Cllr Emma Crane, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for Communities, Homes, Digital and Communications, said: “I am so pleased that work is underway on CityFibre’s superfast broadband network and look forward to seeing the benefits it will bring to residents and businesses.
“We have worked with CityFibre to demonstrate the business case for superfast broadband in Rugby and provide the necessary infrastructure to support their investment.”
In Rugby, 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, as well as TalkTalk, Giganet, Zen and IDNet, and other providers are expected to join the network soon.
Residents interested in giving their home broadband a boost can find out more about the build and register their interest here.
With network projects in over 60 cities and construction underway to reach up to 8 million homes
City communications
9 January 2025
Project Gigabit
19 December 2024
Project Gigabit
17 December 2024