Construction of the £50m city-wide full fibre network started in the Catton Grove area and is being delivered by Telec Networks on behalf of CityFibre. The team will use a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council to deliver a fast rollout while minimising potential disruption.

The overall project is expected to take around three years to complete. Services in Norwich will be available from a range of broadband providers including Air Broadband, InTouch Systems, and Giganet. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner Vodafone to supply full fibre infrastructure for customers on selected Vodafone Pro Broadband plans, while TalkTalk and other providers are expected to join the network soon.

Charles Kitchin (pictured), CityFibre’s city manager for Norwich, said: “I’m immensely excited and proud to see work getting under way in Norwich. This is the start of a new chapter for the city as it gets ready to thrive in the digital age. It’s important to remember that any short-term disruption will pay off tremendously in the long-term. Once the network’s built, it will serve the community’s connectivity needs for decades to come.”

Cllr Alan Waters, leader of Norwich City Council, added: “Full fibre broadband is essential to the future of Norwich – for residents, businesses and those that are in education here. Investment in the city’s digital future is paramount to achieving one of the five key ambitions in our 2040 vision for the city: a connected city.

“We have seen the importance of broadband during the pandemic to health services, education and businesses and this infrastructure will ensure that no-one is left behind.

“This project is key as we seek to restore the local economy and support local businesses as part of our key priorities in our Covid-19 recovery plan.”