North Tyneside is to benefit from an investment of over £50m as part of CityFibre’s up to £4bn plans to help replace the UK’s legacy copper networks with gigabit-capable full fibre optic connectivity.

The state-of-the-art infrastructure is forecast to boost business productivity and innovation, deliver millions of pounds in economic benefits for North Tyneside and help the region to recover from the economic downturn – while giving residents and businesses access to the UK’s fastest broadband services of up to 1,000 megabits per second.

Detailed planning is already underway as CityFibre designs a network capable of serving North Tyneside’s current and future demands. The build is expected to start in December and upon completion, the network will be in reach of nearly every home and business in the area, providing a platform for a new generation of “smart city” applications and the roll-out of 5G mobile services.

Jason Legget, as City Manager at CityFibre, will spearhead delivery of the North Tyneside project. As commercial lead for CityFibre in the region, Jason will be the main contact for all the borough’s stakeholders and a key advocate of the wide-ranging benefits that a full fibre network will bring.

Jason said: “We’ve made great progress already in the region with our work in Newcastle and it’s exciting to now look to our £50m North Tyneside Full Fibre investment. In collaboration with North Tyneside Council, we are looking forward to transforming digital infrastructure; particularly at a time when connectivity, and indeed best-in-class Full Fibre, could not be more significant.”

IQA Elecnor is constructing the network on behalf of CityFibre. The company, based in Hebburn, will use modern build techniques, including, where possible, utilising existing underground and overground infrastructure to ensure a fast and successful roll-out. Their teams are following social distancing protocols to ensure their own safety, as well as that of the general public.

Antonio Henarejos, Managing Director at IQA Elecnor said: “We are pleased to work on this additional contract for CityFibre in North Tyneside, following our previous work rolling out a Full Fibre network in Newcastle. It’s great to be part of an enterprise that transforms communities’ digital experiences, by giving them more reliable broadband.”

CityFibre is engaging with North Tyneside Council and local communities to ensure a fast and successful roll-out. Ward Councillors will be briefed on plans for the local community and residents are being kept informed by door-to-door teams and mailings ahead of works commencing in their streets.

Across the UK, CityFibre is working with an increasing range of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to deliver next generation broadband services.

Bruce Pickard, Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside Council, welcomed the announcement, adding : “Every modern, vibrant economy needs access to fast broadband and we have made it a priority to ensure residents and businesses in North Tyneside are able to benefit from the latest technology.

“We welcome CityFibre’s investment in our town as it furthers our aim of providing a future-proofed Full Fibre digital infrastructure and a greater choice for the people of North Tyneside.”