Here come CityFibre

Now that Openreach have started connecting up for FTTP in my Fibre First exchange, what do you know, CityFIbre are about to dig up the roads.

Interestingly, according to the road works site I use (the one for Scotland) they are "Installing fibre to support mobile network- excavate to install duct and chambers where required". But judging by the number of entries and locations this is for FTTP, not mobile. Unless we're getting 5G to every lampost.

I don't know who CityFibre's retailer is/are so I can't track them on the TB broadband map. Some tell me!

Also, I guess they're going to make a mess by digging up the pavements. Do any of these new kids on the block ever use Openreach's ducts?

It could be that they are laying dark fibre. Cityfibre can make use of OR ducts under PIA, however in some ways it can be cheaper to dig and run their own ducting. Cityfibre aren't a new kid on the block, they've been around a number of years now and have FTTP in many locations and continuously expanding.

The retail side of it is Vodafone with Gigafast currently, and some point in the future TalkTalk.

What city is it?

"Install duct and chambers" sounds like a backbone network. Typically what Cityfibre do is to start with an anchor tenant, such as the council, and do a deal to connect up a few hundred sites. Later on, they could use this as the core of an FTTP network.

CityFibre do use PIA in some places, e.g. they may use existing poles rather than digging up the pavements.

CityFibre's residential retailer is Vodafone. They have different resellers for B2B in different areas.

It's Glasgow. A year or so ago they did run (what I would call or assume is) a backbone connecting all Glasgow City's schools and offices. I kind of assumed they'd eventually build out from that. You could see clearly where they were running that cable as the trenches progressed around my neck of the woods.

But these road work entries are in multiple local streets and look like the build out I expected. Just oddly referred to as mobile infrastructure.

Now you mention Vodafone I can see where they've built in Stirling. They recently announced they'd 'done' that city, maybe they're moving on. In Stirling there's no Openreach FTTP unlike Glasgow where they seem to be building out where OR just lit up and Virgin have a big presence.

I can't add a direct link but go to https://www.roadworksscotland.org , search for "CROOKSTON DRIVE, GLASGOW" as an example an filter the date to the end of the year. You should find lots of 'green' entries. Also around the "LADYKIRK DRIVE, GLASGOW" area. The latter area has just gone live for FTTP in the last month.

CityFibre announced Glasgow in March - https://www.cityfibre.com/news/cityfibre-reveals-36-...

Following on from their install of metro network there.

The roadworks notices will be placeholders for future planned works to be followed up with more detailed descriptions I imagine.

CityFibre can and do use Openreach duct and poles alongside using their own ducts and, indeed, their own poles on occasion.

In reply to a post by AyeUp:

The retail side of it is Vodafone with Gigafast currently, and some point in the future TalkTalk.

Giganet are now also providing residential broadband over the CityFibre network.
https://home.giga.net.uk/

Post deleted by MrSaffron

In reply to a post by flilot:

In reply to a post by AyeUp:

The retail side of it is Vodafone with Gigafast currently, and some point in the future TalkTalk.

Giganet are now also providing residential broadband over the CityFibre network.
https://home.giga.net.uk/

No, their residential services run over the Openreach FTTP network. They do offer Cityfibre based FTTP but its business only and cost £100s per month.

Self promotion spam deleted

In reply to a post by Highland76:

No, their residential services run over the Openreach FTTP network. They do offer Cityfibre based FTTP but its business only and cost £100s per month.

Their residential packages via OR FTTP are on the expensive side too. Their checker offers me

80/20: £45/month
200/30: £59/month - flagged "Most Popular"
500/70: £64/month
900/100: £79/month - flagged "Biggest Saving" (!!)

There is a £45 activation fee on all those on top, although only a 12 month contract, and no end-of-contract price rise. It doesn't say anything about static IPs or IPv6.

Their FAQ says "We're offering a faster, ultrafast full fibre service than BT and Zen, and for less money." But I see Zen offering

100/18: £39/month (£20 setup)
500/70: £55/month (£55 setup)
900/100: £70/month (£55 setup)

and BT is cheaper again.

They are making that claim based on BT and Zens standard pricing on the lowest Ultrafast option, based on their pricing in "on net" exchanges, like Salisbury.

https://www.giga.net.uk/salisbury-broadband-launch/

They make similar claims about their business broadband.

https://www.giga.net.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/S...

Their 1000/115 residential services is only £55 in Salisbury.
Their ultrafast offerings start at £35 for 220/30 which is also cheaper than BT and Zens lowest Ultrafast.

Edited by j0hn83 (Fri 09-Oct-20 15:28:31)

Funny enough, I am also tracking the Cityfibre rollout in Glasgow. According to one.net in the next 12 months....

https://i.imgur.com/4YEXaM3.png

All those phone icons are the right are Cityfibre installs, I live in the ominous and empty black square with no sign of Cityfibre.

Does that mean they are not likely to install in my area in the next 12 months, or is it possible they just haven't added all of the roadworks.org references yet for the year to come?

At this rate I am worried they will just skip past me and not install

In reply to a post by Woolwich:

It's Glasgow. ...where OR just lit up..

Oh? I just checked the latest build report and I see Glasgow now has 18 exchanges apparently! But it still only shows Bearsden/Cumbernauld and a couple of others; do we have any idea about where the rest of these exchanges are?

I've seen that CityFibre are using BT poles to connect to premises, but does anyone know if they will use a BT or VM duct on private property?

In reply to a post by vegito:

Oh? I just checked the latest build report and I see Glasgow now has 18 exchanges apparently! But it still only shows Bearsden/Cumbernauld and a couple of others; do we have any idea about where the rest of these exchanges are?

I think you are on Pollok which has nothing going on. Halfway (Cardonald area) the Thornliebank area (Gifnock exchange?) are Fibre First along with Bearsden and Ballieston.

In reply to a post by Woolwich:

In reply to a post by vegito:

Oh? I just checked the latest build report and I see Glasgow now has 18 exchanges apparently! But it still only shows Bearsden/Cumbernauld and a couple of others; do we have any idea about where the rest of these exchanges are?

I think you are on Pollok which has nothing going on. Halfway (Cardonald area) the Thornliebank area (Gifnock exchange?) are Fibre First along with Bearsden and Ballieston.

Aye Pollok exchange, its a freaking ghost town out here, surrounded on all sides by FTTP builds of some sort, but nothing in the middle

In reply to a post by vegito:

Aye Pollok exchange, its a freaking ghost town out here, surrounded on all sides by FTTP builds of some sort, but nothing in the middle

Not enough council buildings or big schools for the Cityfibre 'ring main' I'd say. Lots of tenements which I guess would be hard to connect up with a new fibre, maybe that also explains the lack of Virgin in the area.