Bournemouth and Northampton to unlock full fibre with Vodafone Gigafast Broadband

Bournemouth and Northampton are set to benefit from a huge boost in online speeds and performance as part of Vodafone and CityFibre’s plan to bring full fibre internet connections to one million UK homes by 2021.

Vodafone on track to bring gigabit-capable fibre optic broadband to one million homes

Broadband users in Bournemouth and Northampton are set to benefit from a huge boost in online speeds and performance as part of Vodafone and CityFibre’s plan to bring full fibre internet connections to one million homes across the UK by 2021.

Full fibre is currently available to just 6% of UK properties. Vodafone Gigafast Broadband gives users significantly superior performance and reliability by using fibre optic cables at every stage of the connection. Download speeds are 20 times faster and upload speeds 150 times faster than the average fixed broadband connection in the UK.

Bournemouth and Northampton bring the total number of towns and cities confirmed to receive Vodafone Gigafast Broadband to 12. CityFibre will be investing £75m in the latest all-fibre broadband infrastructure across both towns.

Detailed planning is underway as CityFibre, working closely with local authorities, designs networks capable of serving the current and future digital demands of each town. Once the networks are completed, customers in nearly every home and office in Bournemouth and Northampton will be able to take advantage of Vodafone Gigafast Broadband.

Neil Blagden, Director of Digital & Commercial Operations at Vodafone UK, said: “Full fibre can help fuel everything from hi-tech businesses to connected classrooms and buffer-free households. It will boost the local economies and improve people’s lives. We look forward to bringing the benefits of Vodafone Gigafast Broadband to residents and businesses in Bournemouth and Northampton later this year.”

Greg Mesch, CEO at CityFibre, said: “At CityFibre we are leading the charge to switch over the UK from the copper wires of the past to the fibre of the future. Full fibre is the only infrastructure fit to power our economy in the digital age.

“With the addition of Bournemouth and Northampton to our previously announced Gigabit City projects, we have now identified over 1 million UK homes that will benefit from world-class connectivity. Our roll-outs are gathering momentum and we’re now focusing on selecting the next wave of cities in the programme.”

In Bournemouth, CityFibre’s existing fibre network will be modernised before extending full fibre to the rest of the town. With construction work due to begin in late summer this year, Vodafone Gigafast Broadband will be rolled out to customers soon afterwards. Build in Northampton will start this autumn with Vodafone Gigafast services becoming available towards the end of the year.

Councillor John Beesley, Leader of Bournemouth Council, said: “Bournemouth is firmly established as a thriving digital town with a world-leading digital sector. An investment of this size strengthens our position of becoming a first-class, smart and connected digital place supporting the future needs of businesses and residents.

“We shall be working closely with CityFibre to ensure the roll out programme is as smooth as possible and that everyone is kept fully up-to-date with their plans.”

Leader of Northampton Borough Council, Cllr Jonathan Nunn, added: “It has been very exciting to work on this with CityFibre and we absolutely welcome their investment, which places Northampton at the forefront of the UK’s full fibre roll-out. The future is digital, therefore having the right infrastructure in Northampton is essential for us to remain competitive.

“This inward investment will help us attract businesses, build digital skills and resilience across local companies and services, and support new start up activity. It will also support the adoption of innovations such as digital health and care services or e-learning tools. This, in turn, will drive economic growth with the benefits being felt by everyone who lives and works here.”

To find out more about Vodafone’s Gigafast Broadband service, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/web-shop/broadband/deals/gigafast

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Notes to Editors:

• Today, Bournemouth and Northampton have been announced as 11th and 12th locations in the UK to benefit from city-wide full fibre connectivity, joining Aberdeen, Cambridge, Coventry, Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea and Stirling.
• This announcement means Vodafone and CityFibre have now confirmed plans to bring full fibre connectivity to at least one million UK homes and businesses by 2021
• Works are already underway in seven cities: Aberdeen, Coventry, Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Milton Keynes, Peterborough and Stirling.
• Projects are moving at pace with Vodafone already offering Gigafast Broadband services in Aberdeen, Coventry, Milton Keynes, and Peterborough.
• CityFibre is continuing to focus on the next phase of its roll-out to reach 5 million premises by 2025, a third of the UK government’s target.