Stirling citizens have their say on digital future as they help shape CityFibre’s Gigabit vision

Stirling’s civic and business communities have had a first glimpse at how improved digital connectivity will transform everyday life for people in the city. Work is currently underway on a city-wide full fibre network which will deliver significant benefits to households and businesses in communities across Stirling and Bridge of Allan. CityFibre is investing more than £10m to deliver the project in partnership with Vodafone, with almost every home and business set to be able to access next-generation full fibre connectivity. With Stirling among the first cities in the UK to benefit from this digital transformation, city leaders came together today (Wed 30) to discover more about the project – and give their input on how it can turn Stirling into one of the best connected cities in the world. Joined by representatives of Stirling Council and Vodafone, CityFibre updated guests on the progress being made in the project and what the high capacity, gigabit-capable network will help deliver – from greater innovation and productivity in businesses to improved smart tech at home. In total, more than 45 stakeholders – including key council officers, elected members, business leaders, economic development groups and figures from the education and property sectors – were present at the special event at The Engine Shed. Elaine Doherty, CityFibre’s City Development Manager for Stirling, said: “2019 is shaping up to be a huge year for Stirling’s digital transformation. Construction work which got underway at the end of last year will ramp up and, in the spring, the very first homes and businesses will see their full fibre services ‘go live’. “It was a pleasure to bring together some key stakeholders from across the city and discuss how full fibre will help propel Stirling’s digital future. There has been huge interest from local communities and it has been fantastic to see such enthusiasm for this project. “The long term benefits of improved connectivity are massive and the people we speak to cannot wait to be able to connect to the network. In the short term, we will be doing everything possible to ensure that communities are kept up-to-date with our plans and that any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum.” Construction work is currently underway in Cambusbarron, Bannockburn and Broomridge with Braehead set to follow. As part of the project, CityFibre will also be extending its network to Bridge of Allan. Councillor Scott Farmer, Leader of Stirling Council said “The installation of this infrastructure represents a transformational change for Stirling. We have embraced the digital age with open arms here but this is a new dawn for connectivity across our City. “Introducing such change requires patience, effort and understanding from our communities, businesses and visitors, but I believe it will help Stirling stand out from the crowd in a growing digital landscape.” Vodafone will use CityFibre’s network to bring Vodafone Gigafast Broadband to residential customers in Stirling. Neil Blagden, Director of Digital & Commercial Operations, Vodafone UK, said: ‘Broadband services which use full fibre connections are an immense improvement over ones based on old copper telephone lines. The people of Stirling will never want to go back once they’ve experienced its benefits. Vodafone Gigafast Broadband uses this gold-standard technology and we can’t wait to bring it to the residents of Stirling.’ To find out more about Vodafone Gigafast Broadband and to register your interest visit: www.vodafone.co.uk/gigafast To find out more about CityFibre’s Gigabit City vision for Stirling visit: www.cityfibre.com/stirling