Work to transform North Tyneside into one of the world’s best digitally connected boroughs kicks off today. **

** North Tyneside is celebrating a major milestone in its digital transformation today as work begins to extend its full fibre network to reach almost every home and business locally.

As part of a £50m private investment from CityFibre, North Tyneside will benefit from the borough-wide full fibre network rollout, meaning its residents and businesses will soon be able to enjoy the fastest, most reliable connectivity available.

Construction work has officially commenced in North Shields’ Riverside area, with the rest of the borough set to follow. IQA Elecnor is delivering the construction programme on CityFibre’s behalf, using modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly.

The team is also working closely with CityFibre, North Tyneside Council and local communities to manage disruption and ensure a fast and successful roll-out. Residents are being kept informed by mailings ahead of works in their streets.

Jason Legget, CityFibre’s City Manager for North Tyneside, said : “North Tyneside’s residents’ digital future is just around the corner. Work is now underway and that is something to be celebrated. Full Fibre broadband will help households access all the latest entertainment at lightning speed, but the benefits are far deeper than that – from enabling smart home technology to giving people the freedom to work from home with ease.

“The investment also comes at a critical time for North Tyneside’s forward-thinking business community. Next generation Full Fibre connectivity can drive innovation and productivity, ultimately giving businesses the platform they need to realise their growth ambitions. And it won’t just improve business locally – it will also help businesses take their products or services to an international audience.”

Bruce Pickard, Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside Council, added: “It is fantastic that CityFibre is now ready to start delivering on its infrastructure programme to bring a future-proofed, Full Fibre digital network to North Tyneside. This will bring many benefits to residents and businesses alike and create opportunities for our local economy to grow and prosper well into the next generation.”

The full fibre network is not yet live, but once activated, services will be available from an increasing range of broadband providers. In Newcastle, CityFibre is working with Zen Internet to deliver gigabit-speed broadband services, with TalkTalk also expected to join the network soon.