Slough’s digital future to be transformed with £24m full fibre roll-out

Nearly every home and business in Slough will gain access to next-generation broadband thanks to a major investment by CityFibre.

Slough is to benefit from an investment of £24m in its digital future, as part of CityFibre’s plans to upgrade the nation’s legacy networks with gigabit-capable full fibre connectivity.

The state-of-the-art infrastructure is expected to boost business productivity and innovation and deliver millions in economic benefits for Slough, while giving residents access to the UK’s fastest broadband services.

Detailed planning is already underway as CityFibre, the UK’s third national infrastructure platform, designs a network capable of serving Slough’s current and future demands. Upon completion, the network will be in reach of nearly every home and business in the town and will provide a platform for a new generation of “smart city” applications, as well as the roll-out of 5G mobile services.

CityFibre has appointed Stacey King as City Manager to spearhead delivery of the Slough project, which is due to commence in October. In this role, Stacey will be responsible for ensuring the state-of-the-art full fibre network is implemented with minimal disruption while delivering maximum benefit for the wider community.

Stacey will be the lead point of contact for all the town’s stakeholders and a key advocate of the wide-ranging benefits that a full fibre network will bring to Slough’s residents and businesses.

Stacey said: “I’m delighted to be part of an organisation that is doing everything it can to transform towns and cities across the country. Our digital infrastructure plays a crucial role in growing and protecting local economies, even more so during these unprecedented times when connectivity has proven vital to residents, businesses and public services alike.”

Stacey has 20 years’ experience in the telecoms industry. Her previous role was as regional director for BT, which covered Slough and the Thames Valley. Stacey has excellent knowledge of the Slough area and has been heavily involved in building strong relationships across key stakeholders, such as the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Local Enterprise Partnership (Thames Valley Berkshire).

VolkerSmart Technologies is delivering the construction programme on CityFibre’s behalf, using modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly. The company is following social distancing protocol to ensure the build team’s safety, as well as that of the general public.

Alistair Thompson, managing director of VolkerSmart Technologies, said: “We are pleased to work on this additional contract for CityFibre in Slough, following our previous work rolling out a Full Fibre network in Ipswich. It’s great to be part of an enterprise that transforms communities’ digital experiences, by giving them more reliable broadband.”

CityFibre will be working closely with Slough Borough Council and local communities to ensure a fast and successful roll-out. Residents are being kept informed by mailings ahead of works commencing in their streets.

Cllr James Swindlehurst, Leader at Slough Borough Council, said: “We welcome this private investment by CityFibre into Slough to deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose digital infrastructure that will futureproof residents and businesses.

“Slough Borough Council continues to work closely with the private sector to facilitate economic growth in the digital age and CityFibre’s Full Fibre network will be vital in ensuring Slough has a resilient and dynamic economy for years to come.”

The network is not yet live, but once activated, services will be available from an increasing range of broadband providers. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner, Vodafone to deliver next generation broadband services, and TalkTalk is expected to join the network soon.

If residents are interested in full fibre broadband, they can pre-register interest with CityFibre to receive information when services are available. To pre-register, visit: cityfibre.com/residential