Thames Valley: CityFibre lights up Reading as the UK’s next Gigabit City

CityFibre, the UK’s leading alternative provider of digital infrastructure, today announces that Reading has become the UK’s newest Gigabit City. With approximately 30km of pure fibre network throughout Reading, businesses are now able to access a new generation of affordable, ultra-fast Internet services through CityFibre’s launch partner BtL, putting them among the best digitally-connected businesses in the country.The future-proof pure fibre infrastructure will ensure that Reading possesses one of the fastest and most reliable digital networks in the world, bolstering its reputation as an emerging ‘smart city’.

Reading’s smart city strategy has been outlined in the Reading UK 2050 project, promoting business incubation units and the use of the University of Reading’s city centre campus to exhibit and test innovative ideas. Undoubtedly, Reading’s new ultra-fast fibre network will optimise and accelerate all these endeavours – providing thousands of local businesses with a significant digital advantage.

As with all its Gigabit City projects, CityFibre selects an innovative local service provider with which to partner. Reading’s Gigabit City launch partner is BtL, a provider of business-to-business IT and telecoms services, with a large customer base in the region. 

Rob Lamden, managing director at BtL, said: “We’re extremely excited to be the Gigabit City launch partner in Reading. We have been observing demand for ultra-fast services grow exponentially in recent years, and this project has the potential to unlock a tide of demand for faster, more resilient and more affordable services. Businesses can now stop concerning themselves with bandwidth restrictions and instead optimise their operations, improving their experience and driving the bottom line.”

Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, added: “We’re delighted to announce Reading as our newest Gigabit City project. Our network is designed to accommodate Reading’s current and future digital needs, from connecting public sector sites, schools and hospitals to powering the masts and small cells needed to deliver 4G and even 5G mobile coverage. Connecting businesses large and small is only the first step in Reading’s Gigabit City journey.”

Reading Gigabit City will be officially launched at an event today at The Madjeski Stadium in Reading.