Plymouth’s digital future to be transformed with £52m full fibre roll-out
Plymouth is to benefit from an investment of at least £52m in its digital future, as part of CityFibre’s plans to upgrade the nation’s legacy networks with gigabit-capable full fibre connectivity.
The state-of-the-art infrastructure is expected to boost business productivity and innovation and deliver millions in economic benefits for the port city, while giving residents access to the UK’s fastest broadband services.
Detailed planning is already underway as CityFibre, the UK’s third national infrastructure platform, designs a network capable of serving Plymouth’s current and future demands. Upon completion, the network will be in reach of nearly every home and business in the city and will provide a platform for a new generation of “smart city” applications, as well as the roll-out of 5G mobile services.
CityFibre has appointed Kathryn Askew Smith as City Manager to spearhead delivery of the Plymouth project, which is due to commence in January. In this role, Kathryn will be responsible for ensuring the state-of-the-art full fibre network is implemented with minimal disruption while delivering maximum benefit for the wider community.
Kathryn will also be the lead point of contact for all the city’s stakeholders and a key advocate of the wide-ranging benefits that a full fibre network will bring to Plymouth’s residents and businesses.
Kathryn said: “The past months have really shown us just how much we depend on digital technology to manage so many aspects of our lives; yet, people across the country are still battling with unreliable connectivity that slows them down and causes no end of frustration.
“This is why it’s so exciting to be working with an organisation that has set out to tackle this challenge in communities like Plymouth. By investing in Full Fibre infrastructure and delivering a citywide network roll out, the city can expect to have the best available broadband speeds and futureproof infrastructure that can meet the data-hungry demands of today and tomorrow.”
Kathryn is a project manager with more than 25 years’ experience in supporting infrastructure and telecoms projects in the UK, Asia and the USA.
Oakway Ltd is delivering the construction programme on CityFibre’s behalf, using modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly. CityFibre will work closely with Plymouth City Council and local communities to ensure a fast and successful roll-out. Residents are being kept informed by mailings ahead of works commencing in their streets.
Sharon McNeela, Chief Operating Officer at Oakway Ltd, said: “We are pleased to work on this contract for CityFibre in Plymouth. It’s great to be part of an enterprise that transforms communities’ digital experiences, by giving them more reliable, futureproof broadband.”
Stuart Elford, Chief Executive at Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, said: “CityFibre’s investment will help ensure that the power of digital technologies are fully harnessed in Plymouth. Full fibre broadband will benefit the people and the business community by unlocking new forms of economic and social value and ensure that Britain’s Ocean City builds on its reputation as a great place to live and work.”
The network is not yet live, but once activated, services will be available from an increasing range of broadband providers. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner, Vodafone to deliver next generation broadband services, and TalkTalk is expected to join the network soon.
If residents are interested in full fibre broadband, they can pre-register interest with CityFibre to receive information when services are available. To pre-register, visit: cityfibre.com/residential
