HIGH-SPEED broadband is set to benefit the Northampton economy by up to £1 billion, says the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform CityFibre.
The company has completed the primary build of its network across Northampton, which is now ready to connect the majority of businesses based in the town and more than 87,000 homes.
An economic impact report by the consultancy Hatch, commissioned by CityFibre, concluded that Northampton stands to enjoy significant economic, social and environmental benefits from its new digital infrastructure platform, including:
- More than £603 million in productivity and innovation gains;
- £133 million from a widened workforce over the next 15 years.
Enabling 5G rollout alone could drive up to £1 billion in positive economic impact, the Hatch report adds.
CityFibre’s partnership manager Charles Kitchin said: “The rollout is an exciting step for the town’s digital connectivity, which will benefit from faster and more reliable broadband. Residents can now enjoy seamless streaming, even when using multiple devices at once, with ample productivity and innovation benefits for the local economy.”
Northampton is the latest location to be completed in CityFibre’s nationwide rollout of full fibre broadband, making the town one of the best-connected in the UK. Work is continuing in Kettering.
Construction in Northampton began on the £40 million project in 2019 and CityFibre has since laid almost 732 kilometres of dense full fibre infrastructure across the town. The company will continue to explore opportunities to reach more sites including business parks, new-build properties, multi-dwelling units and homes on private or unadopted roads.
CityFibre’s network currently supports download and upload speeds of up to 2.5Gbps and is capable of supporting symmetrical speeds of up to 10Gbps.
Cllr Mike Hallam, cabinet member for corporate services and HR at West Northamptonshire Council, said: “CityFibre’s completion of its primary-build in Northampton will provide a significant boost to the local economy, making the town one of the best-connected places in the country. Having high-quality digital infrastructure is vital when attracting new businesses and residents to the area and we look forward to seeing the community reap the benefits for generations to come.”