New research finds that CityFibre’s full-fibre rollout will deliver economic benefits exceeding £40 billion.
The study, carried out by consultancy firm Hatch, examines a 15-year period and evaluates deployment across 285 cities, towns, and villages in England and Scotland.
Improvements in productivity and innovation make up £22 billion of the projected benefits, as stronger connectivity removes a major constraint on businesses and research.
As more people adopt remote and hybrid working—accelerated further by rising fuel costs—full-fibre helps maintain stronger connections between colleagues and customers. The productivity gains associated with supporting flexible working are estimated to add around £1.2 billion.
Wider access to talent across the country, enabled by full-fibre coverage, is expected to deliver an additional £4.8 billion in economic value, according to the analysis.
The report also estimates that up to £15 billion of value will be added to residential properties located within the full-fibre footprint.
The direct economic benefits are broken down as follows:
| Impact | Value |
| Productivity and innovation benefit | £22 billion |
| House value increase | £15 billion |
| Widened workforce | £4.9 billion |
| Direct build impact | £1.4 billion |
| Flexible working | £1.3 billion |
| Local government operational efficiency savings | £1.1 billion |
| Construction jobs | 16,400 |
Greg Mesch, Chief Executive of CityFibre, commented:
“This report demonstrates just how powerful a tool full-fibre is in levelling up the UK.
Digital infrastructure competition is driving billions of pounds of private investment from incumbents and challengers, and every pound spent is unlocking economic growth, new jobs, and more efficient public services in some of the most deprived parts of the country.
We’re delighted to see the impact of our contribution and we look forward to playing an ever-larger role in future.”
The report also identifies significant indirect economic benefits valued at more than £80 billion.
Unsurprisingly, 5G is highlighted as the largest indirect beneficiary at approximately £53 billion. Other notable beneficiaries include the Internet of Things (IoT) at £16 billion, smart cities initiatives at £9 billion, healthcare improvements at £2.7 billion, and an estimated £175 million in monetised value from reduced carbon emissions linked to the rollout.
“This report from CityFibre highlights the huge productivity boost full-fibre can give the economy and is a critical part of levelling up, with the north of England standing to benefit the most from private-led investment,” said Henri Murison, Director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.
“It is now the role of government to ensure that public investment maximises what can be achieved by building on these benefits arising from effective competition.”
The full research report is available as a PDF from CityFibre.
(Photo by Christopher Bill on Unsplash)
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