Network access provider CityFibre, which has so far built their 2.5Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network to cover 4.3 million UK premises (4.1m Ready for Service), have confirmed the completion of their “primary” £59m build in the city of Aberdeen (Scotland).
The long-running network deployment, which was originally announced in February 2018 (here), has now built to over 105,000 homes in Aberdeen (around 97% of the city’s premises) via over 762km of new fibre cable. The full fibre network also connects more than 160 public sector sites, including council offices, schools, libraries and leisure centres (this bit is more akin to Dark Fibre).
As usual, CityFibre aren’t the only gigabit-capable broadband network present in the city, with Aberdeen also being home to significant FTTP coverage from Openreach’s network. On top of that there are several smaller deployments from Hyperoptic, OFNL, Grain and probably others.
The operator said they would now “continue to explore opportunities to connect more homes and businesses, including flats, new-build homes, business parks and homes on private roads.”
Paul Wakefield, Partnership Manager at CityFibre, said:
“We’re really excited to have finished our primary build in Aberdeen. Across the city, residents can now access all the benefits full fibre connectivity has to offer, enabling more people in the area unlock seamless homeworking, streaming and learning.
“Aberdeen’s economic strength and vitality make it a cornerstone of prosperity, not just for Scotland, but for the entire UK, and we look forward to building on our previous success powering the city’s future economic development.”
The alternative network operator, which has so far attracted 518,000 live customers and also expects to have upgraded their entire network to 10Gbps capable XGS-PON technology by mid-2025 (here), currently still aspires to cover up to 8 million UK premises with their new full fibre network (funded by c.£2.4bn in equity, c.£4.9bn debt and c.£800m of BDUK / public subsidy) – representing c.30% of the UK. But quite when they’ll reach that point is unclear, and they’re known to still be in need of fresh funding (here).