Internet speeds up to 100 times faster than standard broadband will soon be available across York – as it becomes the UK’s first gigabit city.
Thousands of York homes are already connected to the cutting-edge ultra fibre optic network after a trial by TalkTalk, Sky and CityFibre.
That pilot scheme, bringing internet speeds up to 1Gb (1,000Mb) – has delivered a broadband service that delivers seamless, uninterrupted internet access on multiple devices round the clock.
But it was only available in certain areas of York, including Huntington and Rawcliffe.
Now it has got the go ahead to go city-wide.
The big roll-out
With build costs coming in under budget and customer take-up and satisfaction running ahead of targets, work will now begin on extending the network across the rest of York.
The build will start in the spring and is expected to reach a further 40,000 homes over 18 months, covering the vast majority of city households.
Richard Sinclair, general manager Ultrafast for TalkTalk, said:
We’re very excited to be extending our roll out – York is well on its way to achieving its ambition of becoming the digital capital of the north.
Lightning downloads
The reason it is so fast and reliable is because the pure fibre network is plumbed directly into your home – rather than travelling the last few metres on old copper wire.
It means you can download an album in less than a second, and an HD movie in 30 seconds.
100 times faster than standard broadband
Never slows no matter how many people are using it at once
Completion of the York rollout is expected to cost approximately £20 million and will be funded by TalkTalk, with CityFibre Holdings continuing as a shareholder. In due course, TalkTalk will acquire Sky’s equity in the venture, with Sky becoming a long-term wholesale customer.
CEO of TalkTalk Dido Harding said: “What we are doing here in York is a clear demonstration of our commitment to playing our part in securing connectivity for everyone.”
And Mary Weastell, City of York Council chief executive, declared herself delighted with the roll out.
“We are delighted that this ultrafast network will be extended further across York,” she said. “As a result, over 50,000 households will be amongst the first in the country to benefit from gigabit broadband, which places York as one of the top digital infrastructure cities in the UK.”
Now and next
The initial roll out covered nearly 14,000 homes, with over 2,400 customers signing up to the service with TalkTalk and Sky since the beginning of the year.
If you live in Rawcliffe, Huntington, The Groves and New Earswick you should be able to connect now. It is also available in parts of Clifton.
The next area of York to be connected is Clifton Moor. TalkTalk charges UFO customers £21.70 a month, including line rental.
David Carr, leader of York council, welcomed the roll-out across York, saying:
As the first gigabit city in the country to benefit from having access to city wide gigabit broadband, this provides significant new opportunities and support for thousands of businesses based here and a better quality and value to our residents.
Not only helping to create new jobs and attract investment but making York an enviable business destination.