Faster broadband speeds on the way for Rochdale

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Full fibre broadband gives users speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps for upload and download, near limitless bandwidth and connectivity users can depend on

A £30m investment to provide the Rochdale borough with faster broadband has begun.

CityFibre has broken new ground on a ‘full fibre’ network to bring connectivity within reach of ‘almost every home and business in Rochdale’.

Full fibre networks, unlike many of the copper-based ‘fibre broadband’ services available today, use 100% fibre optic cables to carry data at light speed all the way from the home to the point of connection. This gives users speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps for upload and download, near limitless bandwidth and connectivity users can depend on.

A full fibre connection also goes far beyond simply enabling access to the latest entertainment at lightning speed. As an essential digital utility, full fibre boosts households and businesses alike, with experts saying it will drive a range of economic benefits, such as making us more productive and innovative.

Delivered by Network PLUS, each area will usually take a few weeks to complete, however, construction teams will typically only be outside each home for two to three days. Residents will be notified by post ahead of any work starting.

The overall project is expected to reach completion by 2024 but the first services will go live for people to take advantage of ‘much sooner’.

Councillor Neil Emmott, Leader at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “CityFibre’s delivery of its £30m infrastructure investment programme in Rochdale is a once in a generation upgrade that will bring many benefits to the town’s residents, businesses, and services.

“Futureproofing Rochdale’s digital infrastructure is a priority, especially during a time when connectivity is central to the way we live and work. Knowing that Rochdale is ready for the digital age will hopefully unlock an enthusiasm in the residents to take full advantage of the services rollout over the coming months, so they too can level up, similarly to other parts of the UK involved in the investment.”  

Internet service providers including Zen, Vodafone, and TalkTalk will be available to customers with others expected to join the network soon. 

Once the infrastructure is complete, Rochdale-based internet service provider Zen will be providing ‘gigabit-speed’ broadband to residents.

Founder and Chairman Richard Tang said: “In the last 27 years our Rochdale-born business has gone from strength to strength as the industry has shifted from dial-up internet to ultrafast full fibre broadband.

“Deemed the gold rush decade, the 2020s will see widespread infrastructure development for full fibre broadband across the nation, and by 2030, almost everyone will have made the switch to full fibre.

“In another significant step in our journey, we’re extremely proud to be working with CityFibre to bring this ground-breaking technology to our hometown.”