Hot on the heels of research from Ofcom showing that a record 20.7 million UK homes can now access full-fibre broadband, with the UK government’s Project Gigabit a key driver, CityFibre has put the first spades in the ground to connect more than 45,000 homes and businesses across hard-to-reach areas of Leicestershire and Warwickshire to next-generation, full-fibre broadband as part of the £5bn scheme.
The Project Gigabit programme was introduced in 2021 with the aim of accelerating the UK’s recovery from Covid-19, boosting high-growth sectors such as tech and the creative industries, and levelling up the country by spreading wealth and creating jobs. On its launch, the previous UK government said the scheme would prioritise areas with slow connections that would otherwise be left behind in commercial broadband companies’ plans and give rural communities access to the fastest internet on the market, helping to grow the economy.
The recently elected Labour administration reconfirmed the original objective to build a broadband infrastructure that would see 85% of the UK have gigabit-capable connectivity by the end of 2025 and full nationwide coverage by 2030. By April 2024, more than £1.3bn had already been invested in Project Gigabit contracts, resulting in nearly 82% of properties across the UK having access to gigabit broadband, up from just 7% five years ago. This investment saw more than a million rural homes, businesses and public buildings upgraded to gigabit-capable networks.
CityFibre has won the rights to nine Project Gigabit Lots in Cambridgeshire; Norfolk; Suffolk; Hampshire; Leicestershire and Warwickshire; East and West Sussex; Kent; Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes; East Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. In February 2024, CityFibre was awarded five new Project Gigabit contracts to supply gigabit access to more than 202,000 rural properties that had hitherto been excluded from roll-outs by the major service providers. In October 2024, the company connected its first customers under the scheme in Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk.
The roll-out in Leicestershire and Warwickshire was made possible by a £77m Project Gigabit award to CityFibre and will see 45,000 homes and businesses across hard-to-reach areas of the two counties gain access to full-fibre broadband for the first time. This roll-out marks the seventh of nine Project Gigabit delivery contracts secured by CityFibre. Residents and businesses with access to a range of internet service providers (ISPs), including brands like Vodafone, TalkTalk and Zen, as well as a number of new providers. Sky’s full-fibre broadband will also become available on CityFibre’s full-fibre network in 2025.
CityFibre is also committed to accelerating the upgrade of its entire network to 10Gbps XGS-PON, supporting the introduction of an expanded symmetrical multi-gigabit product portfolio for its ISP partners.
“Helping hard-to-reach homes and businesses across Leicestershire and Warwickshire to access full-fibre will enable residents to stay and thrive within their communities by unlocking new possibilities,” said CityFibre chief executive officer Greg Mesch. “Leaving behind the limitations of copper technology and improving vital infrastructure will provide a significant boost for the local economy, making the regions among the best connected in the country.”
