NEWS
Connected – CityFibre ’ s city manager for Tees Valley , Steph Carter-Smith , and city build manager for Middlesbrough , Peter Millward
Full Fibre Future
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CityFibre continues improving Tees Valley connectivity
he internet is now as much an everyday essential in our homes as running water and electricity . Yet with so many of us still experiencing inconsistent speeds and poor service on a regular basis , the need for further investment in the UK ’ s digital infrastructure is abundantly clear .
The Tees Valley is one of a growing number of locations across the UK to benefit from CityFibre ’ s £ 4bn Gigabit City investment programme , which will bring new and improved broadband infrastructure within reach of up to eight million homes and businesses nationwide .
CityFibre has committed a £ 42m investment in Middlesbrough and a further £ 32m investment across the Tees Valley to ensure full fibre deployment reaches as many homes as possible .
In an increasingly digital world , it ’ s vital that communities aren ’ t left to depend on legacy copper networks ( which still deliver internet services to the majority of UK homes ), and that the option to connect homes to full fibre-enabled networks is made available to all .
The best network technology , full fibre uses 100 per cent fibre optic cables to carry data at lightning-speed all the way from the home to the internet exchange , with no interruptions . Network providers say full fibre also allows businesses to improve their productivity and will contribute to plans to level up the region ’ s economy .
Unlike copper-based “ fibre broadband ” services available today , CityFibre use 100 per cent fibre optic cables to make your connection faster . This means that everyone in a household will be able to use their devices when they want , without any lag or buffering .
Steph Carter-Smith , city manager for Tees Valley , said : “ Over the past year we ’ ve been working to bring the CityFibre network to a number of neighbourhoods in Middlesbrough . The next stage of the investment in Hartlepool and Redcar means we can ensure even more homes and businesses will benefit from the new network .
“ The Tees Valley is a region packed with potential and leading the investment project becomes more exciting each day . The outcomes will be life-changing to local communities
WORDS : JULIE BURNISTON PICTURE : TOM BANKS
and businesses . Our ultimate goal is to ensure that our network is accessible and affordable .”
Construction is being delivered by MAP Group on behalf of CityFibre . The team is using a range of construction methods and works in close partnership with Middlesbrough Council , Redcar and Cleveland Council and local communities to deliver a fast rollout and minimise potential disruption .
The network is well underway in various locations across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland , including Brambles Farm , Thorntree and Normanby . The next areas earmarked for the rollout include South Bank , North Ormesby , Berwick Hills and Pallister Park , with construction beginning in Hartlepool and Redcar in early 2022 .
Peter Millward , city build manager for Middlesbrough , said : “ We have made significant progress rolling out our full fibre network across Middlesbrough . I want to thank the residents for their patience as we work to bring our stateof-the-art network to the region .”
Residents in the Tees Valley will be able to access the network through one of CityFibre ’ s Internet Service Provider partners once the network is live .
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People interested in giving their home broadband a boost can find out more about the build , pre-register their interest and ensure they are updated on service availability at cityfibre . com / teesbusiness