CityFibre expands ultrafast broadband networks in Edinburgh and Aberdeen

Pure fibre provider CityFibre has signed up a string of new business customers in Edinburgh and Aberdeen as it expands its footprint in Scotland. 

Customers include Commsworld, which now uses CityFibre’s network to deliver pure fibre-based services in both cities, along with fellow business ISPs Converge and IFB, who sell wares in Aberdeen. 

CityFibre’s core Aberdeen network has not yet been completed and the precise route has yet to be determined. The direction the route will take is driven by interest from would-be customers and so CityFibre is encouraging Aberdeen-based firms to get in contact and register their interest. 

James Thomas, operations director for CityFibre said: “We’re delighted to have two more significant partners in Commsworld and Converged join the Aberdeen CORE. Together with IFB, they will provide businesses with an increasing choice of next generation connectivity services driving customer value and service take-up throughout the city.” 

Nothing’s on the table regarding these sort of services reaching residential customers in Edinburgh or Aberdeen yet, but the construction of CityFibre’s core networks at least paves the way for that possibility. 

CityFibre’s York network is currently being used to support a trial of domestic gigabit broadband which involves Sky and TalkTalk. Slated to go live this Autumn, customers will be able to pay £21.50/month to get an unlimited gigabit broadband service from TalkTalk for 18 months. 

This joint venture has the potential to reach over 10 million homes across the UK and for ISPs like Sky and TalkTalk, provides an interesting alternative to using BT’s Openreach network. 

TalkTalk’s chief executive Dido Harding has repeatedly criticised BT for not investing enough in its network and has called for Ofcom to impose stricter controls on Openreach. 

Last month, Harding said: “The UK has lived with broadband infrastructure that has suffered significant underinvestment for too long and we lag well behind the rest of Europe when it comes to rolling out pure, ultrafast, fibre networks. 

“We have the potential to become the world’s leading digital economy, but we need this kind of investment in superior fibre infrastructure to make this a reality.”