UK alternative fiber to the premises (FTTP) infrastructure provider CityFibre has announced another 36 markets in which it plans to deploy fiber. The new locations more than double the number of towns and cities where the company plans to provide FTTP services; the list now stands at 62 and represents 5 million premises, according to the company.
The new locations include such major cities as Glasgow, Nottingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as smaller towns such as Solihull, Crawley, and Barnsley.
CityFibre says it plans to award £1.5 billion in construction contracts by this July and have deployments rolling in what it termed “the vast majority” of the new locations by the end of the year. The efforts are part of the company’s £4 billion Gigabit City Investment Programme, which aims to bring fiber to up to 8 million premises.
“Britain’s need for a world-class digital infrastructure has never been greater which is why we stand firmly behind the Government’s plan for nationwide coverage by 2025. Full fiber will play a critical role in leveling-up the UK and so today we are accelerating our plans, bringing full fiber to more towns and cities, even faster,” said CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch.
The fiber network provider has at least three major clients for its FTTP infrastructure – Vodafone, TalkTalk, and mobile operator Three (see, for example, "CityFibre to buy FibreNation from TalkTalk, tweaks Vodafone FTTH deployment agreement"). “This is great news for TalkTalk customers who live in these towns and cities as they’ll soon benefit from faster, more reliable broadband,” commented Tristia Harrison, chief executive of TalkTalk. “This announcement is a clear demonstration that new digital infrastructure will only be delivered through a vibrant, competitive market. What’s more, it is another important step in creating the Northern Centre of Excellence for full fiber to level up opportunities for all consumers and businesses in Britain.”