The contract, which began in February 2020 and will be completed within the next year, has now enabled thousands of internet users in Ipswich to connect their homes and businesses to the best available digital infrastructure. This includes properties in the Gainsborough, Priory Heath, Holywells and Alexandra areas.

The rollout is now progressing into new areas, including St Johns and Bixley. Once the programme is complete, nearly all homes and businesses in Ipswich will have access to full fibre services.

VolkerHighways is providing a full turnkey solution from exchange to property boundaries, including all civils and fibre works. The team is using a hybrid installation solution which includes building both new underground trench duct networks and overhead infrastructure, as well as using the existing infrastructure.

In addition, the team is using micro-trenching to cut trenches of between 80mm and 130mm wide on asphalted footways. This type of construction is more efficient and less disruptive to residents and the environment, compared to traditional-cut trenches, which are up to 300mm wide, and require more material to backfill the area.

Full fibre networks use 100 percent fibre optic cables to carry data at lightning speed all the way from the home to the point of connection. This provides consistently faster speeds for upload and download and almost limitless bandwidth. This means multiple people within a household can use the internet simultaneously, without reducing speed.

Charles Kitchin, area manager for Ipswich for CityFibre, said: “We’re delighted to have connected thousands of homes and businesses to our full fibre network in Ipswich, which means residents can enjoy smooth streaming at home and unbeatable connectivity in the office. Our full fibre network will upgrade Ipswich’s digital infrastructure for decades to come, and see the town become one of the best-connected places in the UK.”

Greg Kunikov, operations director for VolkerHighways, said: “There is now a greater need than ever for fast broadband. We’re pleased to have delivered a substantial amount of the build in Ipswich and look forward to seeing more residents swap to full fibre.”