CityFibre announces a £2.5bn fibre broadband investment plan

CityFibre’s fibre-to-the-home builds are currently underway in Aberdeen, Milton Keynes and Peterborough, with construction due to start in Edinburgh, Stirling and six English cities shortly afterwards.

The additional funding is also targeting expansion of fibre-to-the-home to a number of other cities including Glasgow.

CityFibre said the investment will bring an £85bn economic boost to the UK, creating 5,000 construction jobs.

Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, said: “With a head-start in 37 towns and cities, this full fibre investment plan enables us to further accelerate our rollout, catalysing huge economic growth in regional towns and cities across the country and transforming the UK’s digital future.

“Our rollout will soon bring to scale an innovative wholesale network, providing internet service providers and mobile network operators with greater choice and unrivalled technical capabilities, benefitting all sectors of the market.

“We now need to work together across government, Ofcom and industry to create a level-playing field that continues to encourage investment from multiple network operators, so that full fibre can be delivered as quickly and effectively as possible.”

Paul Wheelhouse MSP, minister for energy, connectivity and the islands, said: “The Scottish Government welcomes CityFibre’s £2.5bn investment programme which will help contribute towards our vision of a digitally future-proofed Scotland. Commercial investment in digital infrastructure in our cities is an important aspect of meeting our commitment to reaching 100% of premises by the end of 2021, alongside our work in rural Scotland, and this investment in full-fibre will enable our people and businesses to succeed while providing the stepping stone for advances in 5G technology.

“I am delighted that CityFibre are investing further in Scotland, recognising the important role Scotland plays in driving economic growth across the UK.”