The city’s business community, in particular, stands to benefit enormously as access to gigabit-speed full fibre connectivity could unlock £57m in business productivity and innovation.
A further £29m in growth could be driven from new business start-ups, with enhanced connectivity making it easier and less expensive to set up base and run efficiently. Meanwhile the increased ability for companies to support flexible working could also add a further £26m. This will not only help to reduce barriers to work, but improve employees’ work-life balance, which in turn improves motivation and retention.
Crucially the network roll-out itself is expected to drive £36m in direct economic growth, employing an average of 150 people in the construction and civil engineering sectors throughout the duration of the project.
According to the researchers, smart city initiatives including home automation technologies, smart energy networks and intelligent transportation systems, could also add as much as £77m locally too; while digital enhancements in the delivery of healthcare services could be worth £19m. Coventry is already ahead of the game, having become one of the first cities in the UK to connect the majority of its GP practices to a Gigabit City network, offering world-class connectivity to staff and patients.
As one of the first cities in the UK to benefit from the new Vodafone and CityFibre Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) programme, Coventry is now well on its way to becoming a beacon of digital transformation. The city’s existing 180km network – which was launched in 2014 to serve Coventry’s public sector and business community – will be expanded to reach nearly every home and business in the city.
For the first time residents across Coventry will have access to gigabit-speed broadband services of up to 1000mbps from Vodafone, and businesses will be able to connect and enjoy the same from Vodafone and our wholesale channel partners.
As part of this first phase deployment, a detailed planning and city build programme is underway and work will begin on construction of the new network later this year.
Greg Mesch, CEO at CityFibre, explained: “With a new full fibre network being built beneath its streets, Coventry is a forerunner of digital transformation in the UK. This report demonstrates that the city is set to enjoy huge economic benefits as a result of this roll-out. This is about more than just broadband, it is about the digital infrastructure set to power our economy for decades to come.”
The CityFibre team will be taking part in the #CWRocks Breakfast Briefing alongside connected customer, the Ricoh Arena, where they will discuss the benefits of full fibre connectivity and how Coventry is set to thrive following the network expansion.
To find out more about the event, which is taking place on the 28th of September, visit: www.cwexpo.co.uk
To find out more about the Gigabit City infrastructure in Coventry visit: cityfibre.com/coventry or follow @GigabitCov.
