Work to install full fibre network underway

Construction work has officially begun this week to extend the full fibre network as part of a £120m investment to install Gigabit broadband services which reach almost every home and business in the city.

As part of a £120m private investment from CityFibre, Leeds is among the first locations to get fulll fibre roll-out. Vodafone will be using CityFibre’s network to bring Vodafone Gigafast Broadband services to the city.

Construction work has now started in Beeston, Hunslet and Riverside, Middleton Park, Holbeck, Pudsey, Bramley and Stanningley. The first homes and businesses will be able to connect to the network from early 2020, with works projected to be largely complete by 2025. O’Connor Utilities  is delivering the construction programme on CityFibre’s behalf.

Kim Johnston, CityFibre’s City Manager for Leeds, said: “This is an exciting time for both CityFibre and Leeds as we start to roll out full fibre across the city. With work now underway, the first homes will soon be able to access Gigabit capable services, not only helping households access all the latest entertainment at lightning speed, but also enabling smart home technology and giving people the freedom to work from home with ease.

“As well as transforming our home lives, full fibre will lay the foundations for a number of smart city initiatives, such as big data projects and high-definition CCTV, which will cement Leeds’s status as a leading digital destination.”

The roll-out will enhance Leeds’ growing reputation as a digital hub in the UK, with research from economic consultancy Regeneris predicting that full fibre connectivity will have a major impact over the next 15 years. It shows that up to £255m could be added to the value of local homes, while Smart City initiatives could add as much as £213m locally.

It found that access to full fibre could also unlock £192m in business productivity and innovation, while a further £92m in growth could be driven from new business start-ups.

Councillor James Lewis at Leeds City Council said: “We welcome investment by CityFibre into Leeds to deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose digital infrastructure for residents and businesses alike.

“Leeds City Council continues to work closely with the private sector to facilitate economic growth in the digital age and CityFibre’s full fibre network will play a major role in supporting Leeds’s Inclusive Growth strategy and ensuring a resilient and dynamic economy for years to come.”

Andy Sedman, Contract Manager at O’Connor Utilities, added: “The roll-out of full fibre across the UK will provide major employment opportunities over the coming years and the build in Leeds will be driven by a local workforce that is genuinely motivated and proud to play a role in such a transformational project.

“We will work tirelessly to reduce disruption during the roll-out, which will be richly compensated by the delivery of high-speed connectivity to homes and businesses across the city.”

Currently, fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) is only available to less than 7% of premises across the UK.