Network operator CityFibre, which has so far extended their 2.5Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network to cover around 4 million UK premises, have today confirmed the completion of their “primary” £21m build in the large port town of Hartlepool in County Durham (England).
The original network deployment, which began with the help of civil engineering contractor Granemore Group, first entered the construction phase around September 2022 (here) and was due to complete by 2025. The good news is that CityFibre has now covered “over” 33,000 homes (RFS) or “around 80% of the town’s homes and most businesses“.
Hartlepool is the latest town in CityFibre’s nationwide rollout. But while the primary-build is now complete, CityFibre said they would continue to explore opportunities to connect more homes and businesses, including flats, new-build homes and business parks.
As usual, CityFibre aren’t the only gigabit-capable broadband network present in the town. For example, both Virgin Media (nexfibre) and Openreach’s networks are already widely available across the location, with Grain (Grain Connect) also having significant FTTP coverage. In addition, both OFNL and Hyperoptic have a small presence.
Steph Carter-Smith, Partnership Manager at CityFibre, said:
“The completion of our primary-build marks a pivotal moment in boosting Hartlepool’s digital capabilities. With state-of-the-art infrastructure now embedded throughout the town, Hartlepool’s residents, businesses and public institutions stand to reap the benefits of full fibre for now and for future generations.”
As full fibre becomes increasingly crucial for the UK’s economic landscape, we are eager to support Hartlepool’s continued progress and drive its future prosperity.”
The alternative network operator 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 be in need of fresh funding (here).