CityFibre, nexfibre accelerate roll-out of UK gigabit project

Responding to a flurry of activity by the UK’s premier broadband provider, the country’s two largest independent firms have revealed they are upping the pace in delivering full-fibre network connectivity to previously underserved suburban and semi-rural premises to drive long-term competition in the fibre access market on a national scale. 

As part of the UK government’s Project Gigabit, scheme, CityFibre, which claims to be the UK’s largest independent full-fibre platform, has begun work to connect more than 57,000 homes and businesses across hard-to-reach areas of East and West Sussex to full-fibre broadband.

The £5bn 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, spreading wealth and creating jobs across the country. On its launch, the scheme looked to prioritise areas with slow connections that were seen as being left behind in commercial broadband companies’ plans, give communities in so-called hard-to-reach places access to the fastest internet on the market, helping to grow the economy.

The Sussex roll-out was made possible by a £108m Project Gigabit award to CityFibre, which is also contributing its own investment to deliver the project and reach more homes and businesses in the area. It also marks the eighth of nine Project Gigabit delivery contracts secured by CityFibre, with the first Project Gigabit customers already connected in Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Commenting on the deployment, UK telecoms minister Chris Bryant said: “It is fantastic to see spades in the ground delivering lightning-fast broadband to hard-to-reach parts of Sussex and connecting communities that need it most. This government investment delivers faster internet in turn helping businesses to grow, securing more jobs, and ensures everyone has the digital access they need to thrive in the modern world.”

Meanwhile, fibre network operator nexfibre has announced it has reached a total of two million premises passed and ready for service, becoming the second largest alternative network operator in the UK.

The fruits of a £4.5bn investment from Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) shareholders, Liberty Global and Telefónica, alongside investment firm InfraVia Capital Partners, nexfibre was launched to create the UK’s first national-scale challenger to BT Openreach, boosting choice and competition in the market. Its stated objective is to roll out fibre initially to five million homes not currently served by the VMO2 network by 2026, with the opportunity to expand to an additional two million homes.

Having passed a total of one million premises passed and ready for service in April 2024, nexfibre said it reached two million premises faster than any other operator, achieving it in just two years, through its VMO2 build partnership. The company attributes its progress as being underpinned by a focus on “high build density, rigorous quality control and auditing processes”, and the deployment of 10 Gbps XGS-PON technology.

“Reaching two million premises is testament to the dedication of our team and the support of our partners and investors,” said nexfibre chief executive officer Rajiv Datta. “It reflects our commitment to building a network that prioritises underserved communities and creates a real and lasting impact – most of all by driving economic growth and improving living standards across the UK.”