Work begins on £3m scheme to bring full fibre network to Whittlesey

A £3 million scheme to bring full fibre internet connectivity to Whittlesey has been welcomed as the project began this week.

CityFibre, the team behind the scheme, will use a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, Fenland District Council and local communities to try and minimise disruption in the town.

Each area will usually take a few weeks to complete, however, construction teams will typically only be outside each home for two to three days and CityFibre will be in touch by post ahead of any work starting.

Steve Barclay, MP for North East Cambridgeshire, added: “I’m delighted that CityFibre is extending its footprint in Fenland and investing another £3million to bring its gigabit-speed full fibre network to Whittlesey. Access to good broadband connectivity plays a major role in boosting local economies, stimulating growth and supporting new services, and will give residents and businesses confidence in the town’s digital capabilities for decades to come.”

Cllr Chris Boden, Leader of Fenland District Council and Town, District and County Councillor for Whittlesey, said: “I’m delighted that CityFibre is investing £3million in Whittlesey, on the back of a successful £5million full fibre investment in March earlier this year. Access to high quality broadband is essential for residents and businesses in this digital age, and a crucial part of stimulating growth and innovation in Fenland, at a time when our district is benefitting from new developments as a result of government investment.”

The overall project in Whittlesey is expected to reach completion next year but the first services will go live for people to take advantage of much sooner.

CityFibre has already invested £35m in Peterborough, where more than 67,000 homes – about 85% of the city’s residential properties - can access reliable full fibre internet services from a range of providers. The rollout is also underway in Yaxley and March.

In Whittlesey, services will be available from an increasing range of broadband providers. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner Vodafone to supply full fibre infrastructure for customers on selected Vodafone Pro Broadband plans as well as TalkTalk, Giganet, IDNet, Zen and other providers. More are expected to join the network soon.