CityFibre extends network in Sussex, Scotland and announces Medway ISP

In the latest steps in its rapidly growing £4bn Gigabit City investment programme, CityFibre has revealed the beginning of further build-out work in Scotland and Sussex, and has announced that Vfast will be among the first internet service providers (ISPs) to offer services over its network in Kent’s Medway region.

Work to install the fibre gigabit broadband infrastructure is being delivered by PMK on behalf of CityFibre. The team is using a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Renfrewshire Council in Scotland and local communities. Construction has now been completed in a number of areas of Renfrewshire, with districts now connected including Ferguslie, Millarston, Paisley town centre, Foxbar and Arkelston.

Renfrewshire is also served by two fibre exchanges, one of which is also being used to bring full fibre to areas in Glasgow, including Cardonald, Moss Park and Bellahouston.

The next areas earmarked for the Renfrewshire roll-out include Elderslie, Glenburn, Johnstone and Linwood. Once work on the full fibre network is completed in 2023, almost every home and business in the locality will have access to full-fibre services from a choice of ISPs.

Residents in the CityFibre footprint can now access the network through one of CityFibre’s ISP partners, including TalkTalk and HighNet’s consumer brand, BrawBand, which is now live on the Renfrewshire network.

“We are absolutely delighted to be taking BrawBand to Renfrewshire,” said David Munro, head of product at HighNet Telecoms. “We can’t wait for the people of Renfrewshire to come and join our network and take advantage of the benefits of a full-fibre internet connection. Buffering videos and flaky internet connections will be a thing of the past as we look forward to an ultra-fast future.”

Meanwhile, at the other end of the UK, work is in progress to bring full-fibre connectivity within reach of almost every home and business in Chichester. The project is part of CityFibre’s £195m plan for West and East Sussex, with construction in progress in a number of towns and cities across the region including Worthing, Crawley, Brighton and Hove. The build has begun in Fishbourne and Stockbridge, meaning people in these areas will be the first to enjoy the benefits of full-fibre once the network is live.

Digging is being carried out by CCN Communications on behalf of CityFibre. The overall project is expected to reach completion by late 2023, but services will go live incrementally much sooner.

“We are really excited about the opportunities that the full-fibre broadband roll-out in Chichester will bring for both our residents and businesses,” said Tony Dignum, cabinet member for growth, place and regeneration on Chichester District Council. “This investment in gigabit-enabled fibre connectivity will unlock huge potential for our businesses and homes, ensuring that Chichester continues to thrive in the digital age.”

Adrian Smith, CityFibre’s city manager for Chichester, added: “We cannot wait for residents and businesses to see what is possible with digital connectivity that propels you forward rather than holds you back. And once the network is built, it will serve the community’s connectivity needs for decades to come.”

Almost 100 miles to the east across Sussex and Kent, ISP Vfast has committed to bring gigabit broadband services to businesses covered by CityFibre’s network in Chatham and Gillingham, which it is deploying as part of a £40m project that saw construction begin in February this year. Services are expected to go live with Vfast in January 2022.

“We are thrilled to be working with CityFibre on its Kent expansion project,” said Benjamin Doherty, chief technical officer at Vfast. “We will be offering pure fibre to the residents of Chatham and Gillingham, backed by Vfast’s first-class support from our Kent-based call centre.

“The appetite for consumer bandwidth is only growing and we are proud to be one of the ISPs at the forefront of this revolution. Our local network and local approach will provide customers with gigabit services, while allowing us to bring our services to a whole new audience.”