CityFibre has reached its one-year milestone in delivering faster and more reliable broadband to homes and businesses in harder-to-reach areas of the UK, as part of the UK Government’s Project Gigabit programme.
The first area to benefit from CityFibre’s Project Gigabit rollout was Grantchester in Cambridgeshire. The very first resident to connect was Josh Newman, a filmmaker and lecturer with a huge need for a speedy and more stable connection. His previous provider offered a mere 80Mbps download speed and 18Mbps upload, but thanks to CityFibre’s Project Gigabit rollout in the area Josh was able to upgrade to full fibre through Vodafone. Josh’s new 2.2Gbps service boasts 27 times faster download speeds and 122 times faster upload speeds than his previous connection and has since transformed the way his family uses the internet.
Josh said: “Since connecting to CityFibre's network a year ago, we've seen a huge difference. We can now rely on the internet for everything, from smoother Teams calls for my wife's work, to faster uploads for my filmmaking and easy streaming for the kids. Before, we had to plan around our unreliable broadband, but now we have what we need when we need it. I'm so glad I took up the service; it's been transformative for my family and many others in Grantchester and beyond.”
Jules Gibson, Manager at The Grantchester Green Man, said: “Taking a full fibre connection with CityFibre has really boosted business for us. Processes that were a bit of a pain before are now much smoother and less of a hassle – it’s helped us to become more efficient and productive. Even tasks such as stock management are now far easier for the team as they’re not battling with an unreliable and unstable connection, and this even has a positive effect on how many customers we can serve. We’re happy to have joined CityFibre’s network with Vodafone, and we hope our customers will feel the benefits of a better experience at The Green Man for years to come.”
Thanks to its faster speed, lower latency and reduced error rate, a full fibre broadband connection could save pubs like The Grantchester Green Man approximately 1.3 seconds per card transaction, compared with an ADSL connection in optimal conditions. While 1.3 seconds might not sound like much, it amounts to just over two minutes saved for every 100 transactions. This time saving could directly translate to more sales for pubs; particularly at peak times, such as football game screenings and quiz nights.
As for the county of Cambridgeshire overall, an increasing number of households and businesses continue to connect to CityFibre’s network, both through Project Gigabit and CityFibre’s own full fibre network rollout. CityFibre has also invested in Cambridgeshire non-profit organisations through its Community Fund to address digital exclusion across the area and help support residents towards a better-connected future.
Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: "Our investment in broadband is transforming lives and businesses across Cambridgeshire. In today's digital world, reliable internet access is essential for most people's daily activities – which is why these upgrades are crucial to delivering on our missions to grow the economy and break down barriers to opportunity as part of our Plan for Change.
"CityFibre's rollout is already making a significant difference. Whether it's enabling smoother streaming and home working, or boosting productivity at local businesses, the benefits are evident across our communities. This project is revolutionising how rural areas live and work, creating the foundation for a connected future."
Across the nation, CityFibre’s Project Gigabit builds continue to bring full fibre services to hard-to-reach areas. CityFibre is also investing in a number of environmental, social and governance (ESG) projects as part of its Project Gigabit commitments, such as partnering with STEM Learning and The Wildlife Trust, in addition to its Community Fund. CityFibre will continue to support local communities through its Project Gigabit rollout, dedicating efforts to bring ultrafast, ultra-reliable broadband to those that need it most.
