One year ago, CityFibre started to build a new £40m full fibre network across Northampton. In that time, we have seen a rapid rollout to premises across the town with thousands now ready to access some of the fastest broadband services available. This milestone would not have been possible without the support and enthusiasm of local councils and, of course, the local community. I want to extend a massive thank you to all of them – you have shared our ambition to bring full fibre connectivity to almost every home and business in the area. This will, ultimately, transform the town into one of the best connected in the country.
Over the past 12 months, a huge amount of sustained mobilisation has taken place to engage with local stakeholders, communities and the supply chain, (much of which is based in Northampton) bringing the network within reach of Hardingstone, Wootton, Grange Park, Collingtree and East Hunsbury. Work is also well under way in West Hunsbury, Delapré, Far Cotton, Briar Hill and Cliftonville, with services scheduled to go live in parts of the north of the town later this year. In turn, and throughout the entire build process, this will generate new jobs via our contractors and the wider supply chain.
Of course, we know that projects of this scale can cause disruption to residents and businesses – to help reduce this and speed up delivery time, we have been piloting new deployment techniques in Northampton, including the use of existing telecommunication ducts and poles. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how essential fast, reliable internet connectivity is. In just a few months, the way we work, how we access health services and how we keep in touch with our loved ones has dramatically changed, shifting in the blink of an eye from physical to digital. Northampton’s new future-proof full fibre network means it is well placed to adapt to these changing times and ensure it has a bright future ahead as our attention turns to economic recovery and innovation.
At CityFibre, we care about the communities within which we operate. And make no mistake, a new full fibre network will have a transformative effect on those who live and work in Northampton. Full fibre connectivity doesn’t just help households to access services and the latest entertainment at lightning fast speed, it is also significantly more reliable and is a real enabler of technological innovation and economic growth. Access to gigabit speeds will allow for seamless multi-device streaming, buffer free video calling and will also underpin effective flexible and remote working as well as new innovation.
Over the last year, we have enjoyed supporting, and taking part in, local events and initiatives. These include Digital Northampton’s Merged Futures event, which brought together experts in emerging technologies from across the world to showcase the great work and innovation taking place right here in Northamptonshire, as well the University of Northampton’s fourth annual Internet of Things event, aimed at inspiring students and young entrepreneurs around the potential opportunities full fibre connectivity will bring.
We were also delighted to be able to support local charity, Free 2 Talk, by providing young people with laptops during lockdown, enabling them to complete school work at home. Finally, who can forget last summer’s #Celebratenorthampton art exhibition, which created a trail of feature-size footwear celebrating the town’s shoemaking history – including our very own CityFibre Gigaboot sculpture.
All of us can benefit from world-class digital connectivity, and the opportunity for businesses across Northampton is significant. It is a privilege to be leading the rollout of our full fibre network and we look forward to connecting even more homes and businesses in the weeks and months ahead. Gigabit Northampton. Fully connected. Full speed ahead!
Find out more about CityFibre at www.cityfibre.com
