CityFibre has secured three new contracts under the UK government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit program, which will facilitate the rollout of ‘gigabit capable’ infrastructure to 218,000 rural properties in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Hampshire. These areas would otherwise have been excluded from commercial broadband expansions. The contracts, awarded through a competitive process, will receive £318 million in government subsidies, supplemented by a private investment of £170 million from CityFibre, bringing the total investment to £488 million.
In alignment with its strategic approach, CityFibre will expand and densify its existing network footprint alongside the Project Gigabit initiative. This expansion will extend the rollout to an additional 283,000 homes across these three counties as part of its 8 million home rollout program. This move will unlock over 500,000 targeted premises through the new awards.CityFibre has now secured four Project Gigabit contract awards, totaling £387 million in government subsidies to reach 262,000 homes.
With an additional £223 million in committed private investment from CityFibre, the total investment in Project Gigabit’s target areas amounts to £610 million. The company will also complement its Project Gigabit rollouts in the four counties with expansion to an additional 453,000 premises within its existing 8 million home build program.
The Project Gigabit-subsidized premises are not included in any commercial build plans, making CityFibre’s rollout the only gigabit-capable network in the target area. This presents an attractive footprint for Internet Service Provider (ISP) customers.CityFibre, as a wholesale operator, will provide all ISPs access to the new network through the CityFibre platform.
The full fibre network, built with XGS-PON technology capable of supporting speeds of up to 10Gbps, will enable ISPs to deliver significantly faster and more reliable broadband services compared to legacy copper-based networks.
Detailed planning in these locations is already underway, with the first Project Gigabit connections expected in early 2024. CityFibre’s nationwide rollout is progressing well, with over 2.8 million homes already passed by its networks.
CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch noted that securing these three Project Gigabit contracts strengthens CityFibre’s position as a key delivery partner for the government’s rural connectivity initiatives. Their growing involvement aligns with their strategy of optimizing commercial rollout plans alongside government programs to offer ISP customers unparalleled network density across the country.
Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Sir John Whittingdale, emphasized the importance of this £318 million government investment in achieving lightning-speed broadband access for rural communities, contributing to economic growth and leveling up communities.
Contract Details:
Norfolk Contract:
– £114 million Project Gigabit investment
– £43 million CityFibre investment
– Connections for approximately 62,000 rural homes and businesses
– Survey work completed, expected build commencement in January 2024, and completion by December 2028.
– Suffolk Contract:
– £100 million Project Gigabit investment
– £74 million CityFibre investment
– Connections for around 80,000 rural homes and businesses
– Survey work completed, expected build commencement in January 2024, and completion by December 2028.
– Hampshire Contract:
– £104 million Project Gigabit investment
– £54 million CityFibre investment
– Connections for approximately 76,000 rural homes and businesses
– Survey work completed, expected build commencement in January 2024, and completion by March 2029.
In March 2023, CityFibre was awarded a £69 million Project Gigabit contract to rollout to 45,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses across rural Cambridgeshire, enabling the company to make an additional commitment to connect a further 170,000 homes across the county.
