12 April 2022: With construction of its new full fibre network for Norwich now well underway in the city, CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, welcomed Chloe Smith MP for Norwich North for a tour of the works, giving her a closer look at the £50m project.
During the visit, Ms. Smith met representatives from CityFibre and was introduced to full fibre digital infrastructure, the best network technology currently available. She was also provided with demonstrations of the typical build process, including excavation and reinstatement.
The project forms part of CityFibre’s up to £4bn Gigabit City Investment Programme which will bring full fibre networks within reach of up to 8m homes and businesses across the UK.
Unlike the majority of the digital infrastructure accessible to households today, full fibre networks use 100% fibre optic cables to carry data at light speed all the way from the home to the point of connection. This gives users consistently faster speeds for upload and download (up to 1,000 Mbps), near limitless bandwidth and connectivity users can depend on.
Speaking of the tour, Charles Kitchin, CityFibre’s Area Manager for Norwich, said: “It’s great to see such enthusiasm and excitement for the digital infrastructure that we’re building beneath the streets of Norwich. This new network will enable unbeatable homeworking and digital entertainment experiences. We look forward to giving residents more of a choice when it comes to connectivity.
“Aside from the benefits it will bring to residents on a personal level, this new and improved digital network will drive a range of economic benefits for the whole city, such as making us more productive and innovative. As the world moves increasingly online, full fibre will future-proof Norwich and make it one of the best-connected communities in the UK.”
Commenting on the progress of CityFibre’s £50m project, Chloe Smith MP for Norwich North, said: “It was great to visit the team at CityFibre and learn more about the really extensive programme across the city that will allow Gigabit speed broadband services to be supplied to homes & businesses in Norwich North.
“This Full Fibre network is a huge step forward in Norwich. It’s never been more needed and I am delighted to see such investment and commitment taking place in Norwich.”
Construction is being delivered by Telec Networks on behalf of CityFibre. The team is using a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Norwich City Council, Norfolk County Council and the local community to deliver a fast rollout while minimising potential disruption.
While the overall project is expected to take up to four years to complete, construction teams will typically only take a few days to pass each property. CityFibre will be in touch by post ahead of any work starting.
As the network is completed in each neighbourhood, internet service providers (ISPs) will ‘light them up’ with some of the fastest and best value broadband packages available in the country. In Norwich, a number of broadband providers will be launching services throughout 2022 including UK launch partner Vodafone, on selected Vodafone Pro Broadband plans, as well as TalkTalk, Zen, Air Broadband and InTouch Systems, with other providers 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.