CityFibre picks Nokia's XGS-PON for UK broadband network

CityFibre awarded a 10-year contract to Nokia to supply its XGS-PON broadband equipment for its nationwide network of purpose-built Fibre Exchanges. Nokia will also supply fiber modems for customer homes and IP aggregation switches. Shipments will begin in Q4 2022.

CityFibre is building an open access network which will connect up to 8 million premises in 285 cities, towns and villages, reaching a third of the country. 

The Lightspan access nodes being supplied by Nokia as part of this solution will be used by CityFibre to offer its wholesale customers multigig residential broadband (up to 10Gb/s in both directions) and higher bandwidth services such as connecting Enterprises and providing backhaul for mobile networks.

John Franklin, Chief Technology and Information Officer at CityFibre said: “CityFibre is committed to building a Full Fibre network that is ”Better By Design”, providing our partners and their customers with the fastest and most reliable services at the best value. By partnering with Nokia we have enlisted a trusted and market-leading technology vendor to help support a nationwide 10Gbps XGS-PON technology deployment programme.”

Sandy Motley, President, Fixed Networks at Nokia, said: “The demand for ever-faster speeds continues and we’re delighted that our 25G ready solution has been chosen by CityFibre to enable their GPON to 10G XGS-PON national network upgrade program, supporting their mission to offer the highest capacity wholesale services into the UK market”.

http://www.nokia.com

CityFibre secures £4.9bn in financing

Monday, June 06, 2022  CityFibre, UK  

CityFibre announced a debt package totalling £4.9bn for underwriting its rollout to a third of the UK market by 2025.The debt raise is underwritten by NatWest, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole CIB, BBVA, Intesa Sanpaolo, ING and SEB; with ABN AMRO, Lloyds Bank and the pensions and M&G Investments, the international asset manager, joining as core lenders.Also participating as a core lender is the recently established UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB),...

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Colt looks to City Fibre to expand its UK metro networks

Sunday, December 12, 2021  CityFibre, Colt, UK  

Colt Technology Services is extending the reach of its UK metro network through a partnership with City Fibre.  The arrangment enables Colt to connect commercial buildings as on net locations in eight regional cities across the UK; Leeds, Bristol, Slough, Bracknell, Reading, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The deal also establishes Edinburgh and Glasgow as the 53rd and 54th Colt Metro Cities.The intelligent Colt IQ Network comprises of...

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CityFibre milestone: 1 million homes passed

Wednesday, November 03, 2021  FTTH, UK  

CityFibre reached a big milestone in its Full Fibre rollout across the UK: one million homes passed and "Ready For Service".Residents served by the CityFibre network can now place an order with one of 30 of its consumer Internet Service Provider (ISP) partners and receive Gigabit-capable, symmetrical services in a matter of days.The company said it is on track with its £4bn investment programme to reach up to 8 million homes by 2025 – approximately...

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CityFibre secures £4.9bn in financing

CityFibre announced a debt package totalling £4.9bn for underwriting its rollout to a third of the UK market by 2025.

The debt raise is underwritten by NatWest, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole CIB, BBVA, Intesa Sanpaolo, ING and SEB; with ABN AMRO, Lloyds Bank and the pensions and M&G Investments, the international asset manager, joining as core lenders.

Also participating as a core lender is the recently established UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), recognising CityFibre’s contribution to critical national infrastructure deployment and the Government’s levelling up programme.

The financing follows £1.125bn in equity investments that CityFibre has closed in the last ten months from two new investors, Mubadala and Interogo Holding as well as from existing investors Antin Infrastructure Partners and the Infrastructure business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Combined, these debt and equity funds will fully finance the completion of CityFibre’s rollout to 8m homes, 800k businesses, 400k public sector sites and 250k 5G access points. They will also establish the UK’s first large-scale, carrier-neutral Full Fibre infrastructure platform, providing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and mobile operators with access to the nation’s most advanced fixed-line network and unleashing over £38bn in economic benefits to help level up the UK.

Greg Mesch, Chief Executive Officer of CityFibre, said: “Over the last decade we’ve built a business that has transformed the UK’s digital connectivity landscape for the better. With our rollout now fully financed, backed by so many esteemed financial institutions, we have emerged as a strong national challenger.

“But CityFibre’s aim is not simply to challenge. It’s to be better. It’s to establish ourselves as the preferred network wherever we build, bringing higher-quality, more affordable infrastructure within reach of millions and unleashing the transformative economic potential of Full Fibre to help level up the UK. We have never been more confident that we will succeed.”

https://cityfibre.com/news/cityfibre-completes-a-4-9bn-debt-raise-in-one-of-europes-largest-ever-full-fibre-financings

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Colt looks to City Fibre to expand its UK metro networks

Colt Technology Services is extending the reach of its UK metro network through a partnership with City Fibre.  The arrangment enables Colt to connect commercial buildings as on net locations in eight regional cities across the UK; Leeds, Bristol, Slough, Bracknell, Reading, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The deal also establishes Edinburgh and Glasgow as the 53rd and 54th Colt Metro Cities.

The intelligent Colt IQ Network comprises of 29,000 on net buildings and over 900 data centres across Europe, Asia and North America’s largest business hubs.

Robin Farnan, Colt’s EVP Operations and Engineering, said: “As a company, we are focused on improving both our reach and costs across the UK. Working with CityFibre to enhance our metro offering, customers can now connect from a building in Edinburgh or Glasgow to New York or Tokyo, entirely on Colt’s IQ Network, drawing on our world class on demand capability. Being able to deliver that kind of global service really puts us in a very strong position to help customers work and grow internationally.”

Andrew Wilson, Head of Wholesale at CityFibre, said: “With CityFibre’s Full Fibre network rapidly scaling to reach 8 million premises by 2025, our city networks unlock the potential for Colt to create its own differentiated value and a world-class network experience. The opportunity for customers within the UK, and Edinburgh and Glasgow particularly, is exciting and we’re thrilled to be working with Colt on driving this global ambition for the UK.”

https://www.colt.net/resources/colt-technology-services-expands-its-national-uk-network-reach/

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CityFibre looks to Bechtel to accelerate FTTH rollout across UK

CityFibre has expanded its partnership with Bechtel, one of the world's leading engineering, construction, and project management companies, to accelerate its Full Fibre broadband rollout to approximately one third of the UK market by 2025.

Bechtel's teams have been fully integrated into CityFibre's organizational structure since September 2020, enabling CityFibre to accelerate the mobilization of its 25 network construction partners and manage more than 60 parallel full town and city builds. Bechtel has also helped to strengthen project controls to enhance operational management, establish controls around risk and change, and increase productivity.

The new agreement formalizes a five-year extension to the partnership and will fully leverage Bechtel's mega-project expertise in project controls, construction management, contracts management, and environment, safety and health. Bechtel will focus its leadership and construction management efforts in CityFibre's north and southeast regions, areas with the greatest density of parallel builds. It will also continue to provide functional support across all regions as well as developing resource models to ensure thousands more operatives are trained and available to build partners to help construct the network.

"It's a pleasure to be extending our alliance with Bechtel after a hugely successful year as partners," Greg Mesch, CEO at CityFibre said. "Over the last twelve months, they have worked in lockstep with our teams to deliver an extraordinary acceleration of our rollout. This pace will only increase as we commence new projects and maximise the productivity of each build. We're delighted that Bechtel, with their unparalleled experience of complex, scaled construction projects, will be working alongside us in the years ahead as we continue to build the UK's finest Full Fibre infrastructure platform."

"We're really proud of what we have achieved with CityFibre in only a year," John Williams, Bechtel's UK & Ireland Infrastructure Managing Director said. "This new alliance will deepen our partnership, help sustain CityFibre's incredible growth trajectory, and help future-proof the nation's digital infrastructure for communities across the UK."

• CityFibre notes that it recently concluded the UK's largest ever capital raise for Full Fibre deployment of £1.125bn. The investment round has been secured new investors Mubadala and Interogo Holding.
• CityFibre has appointed 25 network construction partners across the UK. Network build is underway in 60 UK cities and towns.
• CityFibre's services are now live in 46 cities and towns.

https://www.cityfibre.com/

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UK's CityFibre acquire FibreNation

CityFibre, the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform, has acquired FibreNation from TalkTalk Group.

The acquired full fibre network builder allows CityFibre to increase its rollout ambition from 5 million to up to 8 million premises, supporting an investment programme of up to £4 billion. It will also help to accelerate the availability of full fibre across the UK, a platform critical to social and economic recovery in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. The completion also triggers TalkTalk’s onboarding as CityFibre’s latest major customer, making long-term commitments of both residential and business customers.

FibreNation was founded in 2018, four years after a joint venture between TalkTalk, Sky and CityFibre was launched to deploy full fibre infrastructure and services across the City of York. The FibreNation brand will remain in market and the company will continue to operate and expand its networks where nearly 60,000 premises can gain access to gigabit speed broadband services from TalkTalk. FibreNation has network construction projects underway in Harrogate and Dewsbury and has most recently announced Bolton as the next town to benefit from full fibre. The company is currently mobilising in both Knaresborough and Ripon, with plans to make full fibre available to up to 3 million homes and businesses.

CityFibre’s increased rollout plan to reach up to 8 million premises is expected to span more than 100 towns and cities, and is estimated to create up to 7,000 construction jobs outside London. To date, CityFibre has identified 62 towns and cities to benefit from its rollout and CityFibre has connected thousands of public sector sites including hospitals, GPs, schools and community venues.

Greg Mesch, Chief Executive at CityFibre, said: “In the face of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus and its unprecedented impact on the UK’s society and economy, we believe that the need for world-class digital infrastructure has never been greater.

https://www.cityfibre.com/network/

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CityFibre secures £1.12 billion loan for its full fibre rollout across UK

CityFibre has arranged for debt package of £1.12 billion from seven major financial institutions including ABN AMRO, Deutsche Bank, Lloyds Bank plc, Natixis, NatWest, Santander and Société Générale.

CityFibre notes that this is the largest debt financing package dedicated to full fibre rollouts in the UK’s history and represents an important milestone in CityFibre’s plan to improve the country’s digital future.

The debt package will be used to fund the deployment of the first two million homes of CityFibre’s five million homes target and will expand CityFibre’s existing full fibre networks in 37 previously announced towns and cities nationwide. As well as connecting homes, CityFibre’s full fibre network is designed to serve all businesses and public sector sites, provide a superior backbone for mobile operators’ existing locations, enable the rollout of 5G and Internet-of-Things technology and offer transformative, future-proofed connectivity to those joining the Gigabit City Club.

Terry Hart, CityFibre’s Chief Finance Officer, said: “The appetite from these institutions to support our financing is further evidence that CityFibre’s strategy is the right one for the UK. As our networks are rolled out, this will benefit everyone, driving innovation and increasing fibre penetration across the UK, providing the future-proof digital connectivity the UK needs."

CityFibre plans £2.5 billion full fibre network in UK

Wednesday, October 24, 2018  CityFibre, UK  

CityFibre announced a new £2.5 billion full fibre investment plan to extend its network in 37 towns and cities across the UK. The plan is underpinned by significant existing network assets and operations in these municipalities.

CityFibre was acquired in June 2018 by Antin Infrastructure Partners and West Street Infrastructure Partners, a fund managed by Goldman Sachs.

CityFibre said its expanded rollout plan will deliver fibre connectivity to five million homes and corresponds to one third of the Government’s 2025 target of 15 million homes.

Vodafone was named as the first consumer ISP customer for the new network.

CityFibre’s fibre-to-the-home builds are currently underway in Milton Keynes, Peterborough and Aberdeen, with construction due to start in Edinburgh, Stirling, Coventry and Huddersfield before the end of this year and Cambridge, Leeds and Southend-on-Sea shortly afterwards.

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CityFibre plans £2.5 billion full fibre network in UK

CityFibre announced a new £2.5 billion full fibre investment plan to extend its network in 37 towns and cities across the UK. The plan is underpinned by significant existing network assets and operations in these municipalities.

CityFibre was acquired in June 2018 by Antin Infrastructure Partners and West Street Infrastructure Partners, a fund managed by Goldman Sachs.

CityFibre said its expanded rollout plan will deliver fibre connectivity to five million homes and corresponds to one third of the Government’s 2025 target of 15 million homes.

Vodafone was named as the first consumer ISP customer for the new network.

CityFibre’s fibre-to-the-home builds are currently underway in Milton Keynes, Peterborough and Aberdeen, with construction due to start in Edinburgh, Stirling, Coventry and Huddersfield before the end of this year and Cambridge, Leeds and Southend-on-Sea shortly afterwards.

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CityFibre Agrees to acquire Entanet, raises funding

CityFibre Infrastructure Holdings, designer, builder, owner and operator of optical infrastructure in UK towns and cities, announced that it aims to raise minimum gross proceeds of GBP 185 million via a placement of shares at 55 pence per share in an offering that is fully underwritten by banks Citigroup, finnCap, Liberum and Macquarie,

CityFibre also intends to raise further proceeds through an accelerated bookbuilding process that will be launched immediately following this placing, and to raise further gross proceeds of up to GBP 15 million through a non-underwritten offer for subscription.

The company stated that the transactions are supported by new and existing shareholders including Woodford Investment Management, which has agreed to subscribe for 65,454,545 shares in the firm placing for a total consideration of GBP 36.0 million.

CityFibre stated that the net proceeds of the placing and the offer for subscription will be used to fund the expansion of its fibre network in the UK, including:

1.         The expansion of its fibre metro networks from the current 42 towns and cities to at least 50 towns and cities by 2020;

2.         The start of construction of FTTH networks for the residential market in five to ten UK towns and cities in 2018.

3.         To support the company's strategy for wholesale fibre services and accelerate the commercialisation of its fibre assets, the acquisition of Entanet International, a provider of wholesale communications services, for approximately GBP 29 million in cash.

CityFibre noted that the fully underwritten firm placing involves 336,363,636 shares, representing approximately 126.6% of its existing issued ordinary share capital, to both existing and new institutional investors for gross proceeds of at least GBP 185 million. The placing may be increased through an accelerated bookbuilding process. The placing is to be made at 55 pence per placing share, representing a 9.09% discount to the closing price of 60.50 pence per ordinary share on July 4, 2017.

The non underwritten offer for subscription is expected to raise up to GBP 15 million, comprising up to 27,272,727 offer for subscription shares priced at 55 pence per share, and will be open to certain qualifying shareholders.

CityFibre has applied to the London Stock Exchange for the new ordinary shares to be admitted to AIM, and it is expected that admission will become effective and dealings in the new ordinary shares will commence on or around July 28, 2017.

The acquisition of Entanet, which has approximately 1,500 channel partners, will expand CityFibre's wholesale capabilities and its relationships with service providers. By combining its fibre infrastructure with Entanet's wholesale products, systems and relationships with channel partners, CityFibre anticipates synergies of over GBP 3 million per annum within three years.

https://www.cityfibre.com/news/

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CityFibre appoints Jatinder Sispal as head of carrier and national providers

CityFibre, the UK’s largest alternative provider of wholesale fibre network infrastructure, announced the appointment of Jatinder Sispal as Head of Carrier and National Providers.

In his new role with CityFibre, Jatinder Sispal will focus on selling the company's independent, full-fibre infrastructure to the carrier and national provider sector, including content providers and data centre operators, in the UK.

Mr. Sispal joins CityFibre from BT where he was head of the BT Local Business, with responsibility for the enterprise division that serves around 700,000 customers each year.

Jatinder Sispal has extensive experience in the technology and telecommunications sectors, including in senior leadership roles with Telstra, where he was responsible for building up the wholesale division, and Colt, where he led the UK wholesale and Northern European indirect sales and marketing divisions.

London-based CityFibre is deploying fibre infrastructure designed to enable Gigabit Cities across the UK, with a major metro duct and fibre footprint serving 42 cities and a national long distance network that connects to key UK data centres across and peering points in London.

CityFibre offers a range of active and dark fibre services to customers including service integrators, enterprise and consumer service providers and mobile operators leveraging a network that connects around 28,000 public sites, 7,800 mobile masts, 280,000 businesses and 4 million homes.

https://www.cityfibre.com/news/cityfibre-appoints-head-carrier-national-providers/

• The company states it has launched Gigabit City projects in 41 cities, including in the following cities: Aberdeen; Bracknell; Bradford; Bristol; Coventry; Doncaster; Edinburgh; Glasgow; Huddersfield; Hull; Leeds; Maidenhead; Milton Keynes; Northampton; Peterborough; Reading; Rotherham; Sheffield; Slough; Southend-on-Sea; and York.

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UK's CityFibre launches Gigabit City Projects

UK infrastructure provider CityFibre announced that it will shortly begin work on the deployment of an ultra-fast, fibre network in the towns of Slough and Maidenhead in Berkshire, to the west of London.

For the project, CityFibre partner, Berkshire-based IT and telecoms specialist BtL Communications, will connect businesses across the network to provide with access to Internet services with up to gigabit speeds. The project will entail lighting 38 km of fibre from the Slough Trading Estate to the town centre, with a further 10 km to be deployed across the neighbouring town of Maidenhead.

CityFibre noted that customers are already connected to its fibre networks in the nearby towns of Reading and Bracknell in Berkshire.

CityFibre announced in late March that as part of its roll-out in the Thames Valley, businesses in Reading and Bracknell were able to subscribe to services over its new all-fibre network, with the first customers connected to the network. Launched in late 2016, the new fibre network was delivered by CityFibre as part of its national initiative to deploy fibre in UK cities, with services provided via its partner BtL Communications.

CityFibre operates a national network in the UK and claims it has launched Gigabit City projects in 41 cities. The company offers a portfolio of lit and dark fibre services over a network that connects around 28,000 public sites, 7,800 mobile masts, 280,000 businesses and 4 million homes.

CityFibre states it has launched Gigabit City projects in the following UK cities and towns: Aberdeen; Bracknell; Bradford; Bristol; Coventry; Doncaster; Edinburgh; Glasgow; Huddersfield; Hull; Leeds; Maidenhead; Milton Keynes; Northampton; Peterborough; Reading; Rotherham; Sheffield; Slough; Southend-on-Sea; and York.
https://www.cityfibre.com/news/gigabit-city-status-set-supercharge-connectivity-slough-maidenhead/

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