Ultrafast broadband coming to St Ives

Openreach has started work to build a new ultrafast broadband network for St Ives – giving residents and businesses access to some of the fastest, most reliable broadband anywhere in Europe.

The once-in-a-generation, Full Fibre broadband upgrade will let local people connect multiple devices at gigabit-capable speeds and help businesses trade online and compete for decades to come.

Engineers have started work in the town and the build is expected to reach the majority of local homes and businesses in the next 12 months.

Full Fibre broadband provides more reliable, resilient and future-proof connectivity; with fewer faults; more predictable, consistent speeds and enough capacity to easily meet growing data demands.

Residents can enjoy a host of online services and entertainment, with seamless streaming and smooth online gaming. The technology also supports day-to-day, business critical tasks like video calls, banking and online customer interactions.

Local people can visit openreach.co.uk/ultrafastfullfibre to register for updates and, as the build progresses, check their addresses to see when services are available from their chosen provider.

Martin Williams, Openreach Partnership Director, said: “We’re bringing ultrafast broadband to St Ives and letting local people know what to expect.

“This is a major infrastructure upgrade, so there will be more engineering teams, equipment and vans around town, and we're working hard to keep disruption to a minimum.

“Wherever possible, we’ll use our existing network of ducts and poles to avoid roadworks, new street furniture and disturbance. But there may be places where we need to install new poles, underground ducts and fibre cables because it’s the only way to make sure households get included in the upgrade.”

He added: “St Ives is part of our balanced build across the South West. We want to make sure that progress is evenly spread and that people in all parts of the region can be online effortlessly and build opportunities in their community. Connecting everyone in the South West to our fastest and most reliable broadband would result in a multi-billion pound economic boost.”

Openreach’s new ultrafast Full Fibre network in the South West now reaches more than one million properties, and the company plans to roll out the new technology to 25 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026.

Openreach build partner Circet is helping to deliver the build in St Ives.

Alan O’Prey, Circet UK CEO, said: "We’re excited to collaborate with Openreach in enhancing broadband services for the residents and businesses of St Ives. The enthusiastic response from the community underscores the pressing need for faster and more reliable internet connectivity. Our teams will work diligently to minimize disruptions and ensure a smooth delivery of the new ultrafast broadband network. We extend our sincere gratitude to the community for their patience and unwavering support."