NORTHAMPTON’S civic and business communities have taken a glimpse into the future – and seen how improved digital connectivity will soon transform everyday life for people in the area.
Work is currently under way on a town-wide full fibre network which will deliver significant benefits to communities across Northampton. CityFibre is investing more than £40m to deliver the project, which will give almost every home and business access to next-generation full fibre connectivity.
With Northampton becoming one of the first towns in the UK to benefit from this digital transformation, city leaders came together in October to discover more about the project and give their input on how it can turn Northampton into one of the best connected places in the country.
Joined by representatives from Northampton Borough Council, Northamptonshire County Council and the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport, CityFibre updated guests on the project progress and what the high-capacity and gigabit-capable network will be able to deliver – from increased business innovation and productivity to enabling smart home and office environments.
In total, more than 40 stakeholders – including key business leaders, representatives from economic development groups, education bodies and local media – were present at the event held at the Guildhall in heart of Northampton.
James Cushing, CityFibre’s City Manager for Northampton, said: “This year is shaping up to be huge for Northampton’s digital transformation. Construction has begun in Hardingstone and Wootton, with planning well under way for the rest of the town.
“It was a pleasure to bring together some key stakeholders from the community and discuss how full fibre will help propel Northampton’s digital future, supercharge the thriving digital community and build on the range of exciting initiatives in the town. There has been huge interest from local residents and business and it’s great to see such enthusiasm for the project.
“Our investment will be transformational for Northampton. The long-term benefits of improved connectivity are massive and the people we speak to cannot wait to connect. In the short term, we are doing everything we can to ensure communities are kept updated with our plans and disruption is minimised.”
Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Northampton Borough Council leader, said: “The installation of this network will be extremely beneficial for Northampton. We have embraced the digital age with open arms, and this is a big part of that. It will require a lot of work and we’d ask people to bear with us while it is carried out. I really think it will be have been worth it once we begin to see the benefits.”
Jason Smithers, Cabinet member for Highways and Place at Northamptonshire County, said: “We fully support the deployment of futureproof fibre optic infrastructure which complements other activities we’re delivering through the Superfast Northamptonshire initiative. This is set to bring enormous benefits to residents and businesses by accelerating growth and innovation in the local digital economy, and builds on the council’s significant investment in the county’s critical infrastructure.”
Vodafone will use CityFibre’s network to bring Vodafone Gigafast Broadband to residential customers in Northampton from early next year.
To find out more about Vodafone Gigafast Broadband and to register your interest visit: www.vodafone.co.uk /gigafast.
To find out more about CityFibre’s Gigabit City vision for Northampton visit: www.cityfibre.com/gigabit-cities