Communities across the UK are taking steps to recover from the devastating economic impact of the COVID pandemic. As the nation looks to rebuild its economy, we have a fantastic opportunity to ensure sustainable growth by putting CityFibre’s Full Fibre technology at the heart of our recovery plan.
Across all sectors, creativity and innovation will drive the nation’s path back towards full employment, increased affluence, and greater equality of opportunity, and this will be unlocked by miles and miles of fibre optic cables, which CityFibre is laying below street level across the UK.
Full Fibre technology is the cornerstone of the so-called ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ that is currently underway, blurring the boundaries between our digital, biological, and physical worlds. The UK’s slow and ageing copper-based cables are no longer fit for purpose. They must be urgently replaced with Full Fibre networks so that we can realise the nation’s potential for business innovation and progress.
CityFibre’s Full Fibre network is bringing next-generation ideas such as ‘Smart Cities’ and ‘Gigabit Nation’ to life. Our technology is enabling the use of smarter applications and solutions to mine, analyse, and harness data that will ultimately help authorities make smarter decisions.
The Oxford-Cambridge Arc is a great case in point. At CityFibre, we are rolling out our next-generation Full Fibre network across the Arc as part of our £4 billion Gigabit City Investment Programme which will bring new and better digital infrastructure within reach of up to eight million homes and businesses nationwide. Our combined investment across the Arc exceeds £130 million and will future-proof the area’s digital infrastructure for decades to come.
In Peterborough, we have already brought the best available digital connectivity within reach of 65,000 homes in the city so far. We’re investing a total of £35 million in Peterborough so that thousands of homes and businesses in the area can access our best-in-class Full Fibre technology. Similarly, more than 80 per cent of homes in Milton Keynes are now able to access the gigabit-speed broadband services, thanks to CityFibre’s £40 million digital transformation project in the area.
Work is underway to roll out this essential digital infrastructure in Northampton, where CityFibre is investing £39 million, and we are making great progress on our £20 million investment in Cambridge. Luton and Dunstable along with High Wycombe are all in line for a multi-million investments from CityFibre with construction planned for 2022.
Yet how will CityFibre’s Full Fibre technology improve your everyday life? Let’s take a look:
- It’s better for our health and the NHS. The Nuffield Trust ran a trial for 3,100 patients diagnosed with chronic respiratory disease, heart failure or diabetes. It found that telehealth services delivered a 45% reduction in mortality, reduced emergency admissions by 20%, led to 14% fewer elective admissions and 14% fewer bed days. The trial found that overall costs of hospital care were almost £2000 lower among telehealth users.
- It’s better for our economy. According to Government research the UK is expected to gain £20 in net economic benefit for every £1 of public investment in digital infrastructure.
- It’s better for our environment. Fibre uses less power and requires less maintenance. That’s on top of the enormous reduction in carbon it delivers through smarter transport.
- It’s better for our homes and other buildings. Through harnessing real-time data and technology, housing associations, facilities managers and others can take a much smarter, more proactive approach to maintaining buildings and keeping them more accessible and healthier for all of us.
- It’s better for learning. Covid-19 has clearly demonstrated the vital role that e-learning will increasingly play in delivering education. And not just in crisis situations such as lockdown – increasingly universities and others are delivering courses to degree level remotely. And given the growing importance of digital skills in our economy, the demand is only going to grow.
- It’s better for our public services. Hard-pressed local authorities are looking at how they can more efficiently deliver essential services to those most in need. Through increased connectivity they can pursue smarter strategies, increasing access to services and information.
Like many towns and cities across the UK, the Oxford-Cambridge Arc is undergoing a dramatic transformation as it seeks to recover from the pandemic. By putting CityFibre’s Full Fibre technology at the heart of its recovery, the Arc is unlocking a wealth of opportunity for decades to come.
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