29 Oct Sudbury joining ‘Premier League’ of broadband as full-fibre construction starts
East Anglia-based full-fibre broadband provider, County Broadband, has announced work has started to build full-fibre infrastructure in Sudbury – meaning the Suffolk town will benefit from UK-leading gigabit speeds and superior network reliability.
The 18-month infrastructure project in Sudbury, backed by millions of pounds of private investment, began earlier this month after Colchester-based County Broadband secured strong demand from residents and businesses to build its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network.
James Cartlidge MP and Sudbury Town Council praised the investment – saying Sudbury will join the “Premier League” of broadband and leading digital infrastructure.
FTTP infrastructure is replacing old Victorian ‘Superfast’ part-copper networks that the government has said are no longer fit for purpose and cannot keep pace with modern data demands, such as working from home, online entertainment and digital services, accelerated by the pandemic.
Full-fibre delivers fibre cables directly into premises and provides gigabit speeds (1,000 Mbps) – about 11 times faster than the UK average – which can be upgraded to 10,000+ Mbps. The FTTP infrastructure also provides superior reliability due to its technology and having no copper.
In total, 75% of Sudbury’s approximate 8,000 homes, businesses and community venues are earmarked in the rollout, including the Grade II listed Sudbury Town Hall in Gaol Street and St Peter’s Cultural Venue based within the former medieval church in Market Hill.
James Cartlidge, MP for South Suffolk, said: “I am always keen to see private business investment into South Suffolk, especially where it provides a significant benefit for my constituents. We know that high-speed internet is an important resource for communities, and I am pleased that Sudbury residents will have more choice of broadband provision from a local provider.”
James Salmon, director of sales and new territories at County Broadband, said: “We are very excited to confirm that our plans to build and deliver world-class digital infrastructure in Sudbury are going ahead at such a pivotal time. The region needs to bounce back strongly from the pandemic and future-ready infrastructure such as full-fibre broadband will turbocharge productivity and deliver vital new services for residents.
“Thousands of families and individuals, many of whom are remote working, plus a whole host of businesses who want to innovate will benefit from lightning-fast gigabit speeds and bullet-proof reliability once we’ve completed our long-term infrastructure project in Sudbury.
“The pandemic has emphasised the harsh reality that Superfast broadband supplied over copper cables is now reaching its limit. Speeds might just about be ok for now – but they won’t be fit for purpose over the coming months and years.
“We’ve seen rapidly growing demand in Sudbury to get full-fibre broadband infrastructure built after launching our proposals in late 2020, at both our regular market stalls and online community events.
“However, installing new full-fibre broadband infrastructure at this scale is a complex task and has many challenges. It requires significant planning, resources and time. It involves the coordination of highways, landowners, civils works and advanced fibre optic engineering. So we therefore ask for support, patience and understanding from the Sudbury community as we get to work.”
To find out if the Sudbury rollout covers your area, visit sudbury.countybroadband.co.uk. County Broadband has also pledged to find ways to connect rural and remote premises that fall outside these areas in the town.
Ciaran Griffin, town clerk at Sudbury Town Council, said: “Sudbury Town Council is delighted to be joining the Premier League of towns with first-class digital infrastructure. This will put Sudbury in prime position for the recovery from Covid to help local businesses bounce back and to encourage new businesses to settle in Sudbury.
“Gigabit speeds with a reliable, resilient service will help local businesses have the confidence to invest in the e-commerce future of local independent shops, with a strong online presence, supporting local people working from home.”
The government is relying on privately funded full-fibre specialists like County Broadband to help meet its flagship pledge to provide gigabit-speed access to 85% of the UK by 2025.
County Broadband is engaging with over 100 villages across East Anglia to build and deliver full-fibre infrastructure, across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and south Cambridgeshire counties.
