The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Connectivity is key for future of Granite City
Aberdeen’s digital transformation has never been more important for keeping businesses connected
There has been much discussion about connectivity in recent years, but the global pandemic and resulting nationwide lockdown has only emphasised how vital it is to all of us.
From working efficiently at home to staying in touch with our families and friends, many of us have a newfound appreciation of just how much we rely on digital connectivity.
It’s something CityFibre, which is currently transforming Aberdeen into a world-leading digitally-connected Gigabit City, has long championed.
For them, connectivity is not just important in the short term, it’s critical to the future success of our cities and businesses.
“The government has recognised the importance of full fibre and the role it can play not only in response to Covid-19, but also longer-term economic recovery,” says Allan McEwan, city manager at CityFibre.
“Fast, reliable internet has never been more important and for many, accessing improved connectivity can’t come soon enough. It can enable established Aberdeen businesses to adapt to current challenges, and also support start-ups to flourish.
“In terms of helping with diversification in the local business market, it’s been recognised for some time that we can’t continue to rely so heavily on oil and gas in the long term and there’s a lot of good work going on, by organisations like Opportunity North East, to identify and capitalise on new opportunities.”
Plans to establish Aberdeen as a digital hub are key to the city’s future, but to meet those ambitions, the right digital infrastructure is needed, and that’s where CityFibre comes in.
Connecting Aberdeen
CityFibre is investing up to £4 billion into new and improved digital infrastructure across the UK, with the ambitious intention of reaching up to eight million properties by 2025.
Aberdeen was one of the first UK cities – and the first in Scotland – announced as part of that project.
CityFibre is investing £40m into bringing state-of-the-art digital infrastructure within reach of most homes and businesses in Aberdeen – and it’s already well on its way to transforming the city. Gigabit capable connectivity is now available in the likes of Kincorth, Northfield and Ferryhill, and will soon arrive in Bridge of Don, Cove, Airyhall, and other areas.
They started connecting businesses in 2015, working at first exclusively with IFB (Internet for Business) before opening up to other local reseller partners, with hundreds of businesses now connected.
As well as businesses, CityFibre – on behalf of Capita – has connected dozens of local public sector sites for Aberdeen City Council, including schools, libraries and community centres. Work then commenced in 2018 to expand the network and connect households throughout the city. Within the next couple of years, CityFibre’s network will run down most streets in Aberdeen. Thousands of residents are already benefiting from a “Gigafast” service from launch partner, Vodafone.
Seeing the benefits
CityFibre’s digital infrastructure makes it quicker, easier and more cost-effective for businesses and individuals in Aberdeen to benefit from full fibre connectivity.
But what does it actually mean to have a full fibre connection?
“Despite the fact that many of us have bought ‘fibre’ broadband packages for years, most don’t actually have fibre coming into our properties.
“Only around 15% of properties across the UK have access to full fibre,” explains Allan.
There may be fibre optics between the local exchange and the cabinets on street corners, but the connections from cabinets to individual properties are typically copper cables – that’s what impacts internet speed and reliability. CityFibre’s network is fibre-to-the premises (FTTP), with an end to end fibre connection straight into houses and commercial buildings.
In traditional fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) connections, if several properties in one street are all using multiple devices at the one time, this will impact the connection speed and quality for everyone. With CityFibre’s network, contention is simply not an issue – countless devices across many homes can run seamlessly with no delays and no buffering. Crucially, full fibre also delivers symmetrical upload and download speeds, capable of up to a gigabit (1,000Mbps). To put that into context, a 2-hour HD movie can be fully downloaded in 25 seconds instead of more than 30 minutes at 20Mbps speed.
But the network carries so much more value than that, for both individuals and businesses.
In short, it can make businesses more productive and efficient – Allan shares the example of an architectural practice with several team members working on large multiple files to be shared internally and with clients. Whether working at home or in the office, full fibre enables this without delays, no hassle and no stress.
Future-proof digital infrastructure is also vital for us to stay connected with colleagues, friends and family. Love them or hate them, video calls are here to stay.
And the practical benefits of full fibre connectivity will also translate into positive economic benefits, too – as highlighted in a report by Regeneris.
Findings include that, in 15 years, CityFibre’s £40m investment in full fibre infrastructure for Aberdeen could generate economic benefits worth £50m for start-up businesses, £48m for innovation in business and £25m in direct network build benefits.
Bringing many advantages for businesses and consumers, it’s clear that connectivity has a key role to play in Aberdeen’s ongoing transformation and economic recovery.
Allan adds: “It’s completely futureproof. What we’re rolling out now will be benefiting the city for many decades to come.”
Find out more about CityFibre’s ambitious plans for Aberdeen – register for updates at cityfibre.com/register or enquire for your business at cityfibre. com/business