Full-fibre network provider CityFibre has awarded construction contracts worth £1.5 billion across 27 towns and cities in the UK.
Under current plans, the rollout will cover more than five million premises, with all awarded projects expected to be in the build phase by summer 2021.
The contracts secure the construction partners CityFibre will work with in each town and city, enabling coordinated deployment of full-fibre infrastructure.
Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, commented: “By awarding these full-fibre network construction contracts, we can ensure we have the construction resources we need to get the job done, bringing world-class digital infrastructure a step closer to millions across the UK.”
He added: “Each contract represents hundreds of jobs and upskilling opportunities for local people, building the networks Britain needs to survive and to thrive in a digital age.”
CityFibre estimates that approximately 3,750 new local construction roles will be created across the UK as a result of this latest round of awards. The company still expects to create around 10,000 network construction jobs over the next three years as part of its national rollout.
UK Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “It is our national mission to connect every corner of the country to lightning-fast gigabit speeds and we’re set to spend a record £5 billion to achieve this.”
“But we cannot do it alone, so I welcome CityFibre’s substantial investment to plug millions of homes and businesses into the social and economic benefits of next-generation broadband and create thousands of jobs in the process,” he added.
To date, CityFibre has awarded £2.5 billion in build contracts in total, covering more than five million premises across 66 towns and cities.
The company plans to launch the second phase of its Accelerated Tender Awards Programme by the end of the year, which will award build contracts to cover up to a further three million premises.
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