CityFibre has initiated the deployment of its full-fibre network across the nine areas awarded to the company under the UK Government’s Project Gigabit. This ambitious £5 billion scheme aims to provide over 1.3 million homes and businesses with robust connectivity over the next five years. With this initiative, CityFibre plans to connect more than eight million premises, thereby reducing the digital divide in Britain.
The project benefits from the synergy between governmental support and private investment. The UK Government allocated £782 million in subsidies to CityFibre, complemented by the company’s own funding, ensuring network expansion beyond the subsidized zones.
Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant expressed the significance of digital connectivity and its role in personal and professional development. “No one – no matter where they live or work – should be held back in their personal or professional lives because of lack of digital connectivity,” he emphasized. The project targets areas with limited connectivity, bringing buffered-free broadband suitable for streaming, working, and learning online.
The rollout is already showing results in connected areas. For instance, Josh Newman from Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, now experiences Vodafone‘s 2.2Gbps symmetrical broadband. “With full fibre, I can work much more easily and my wife’s often on video meetings, which are now reliable and high quality,” Newman noted. This upgrade also supports school work and entertainment for children without bandwidth concerns.
The undertaking demonstrates CityFibre’s commitment to boosting connectivity, especially in rural areas. Locations in Norfolk and Suffolk, once digitally underserved, are now among the UK’s best-connected areas. The work initiated in Kent marks the beginning of the rollout in all nine designated areas.
Project Gigabit areas assigned to CityFibre include Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire, Leicestershire and Warwickshire, East and West Sussex, Kent, and Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. Additionally, regions like East Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire will benefit from this rollout.
Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, acknowledged Project Gigabit’s essential role in this transition. “Our teams have worked incredibly hard to map routes, lay cables, climb telegraph poles, and engage with local communities,” said Mesch. The impact is tangible as small businesses, communities, and local venues leverage enhanced connectivity.