Eight out of ten homes and businesses in Stoke-on-Trent are now connected to super-fast gigabit full-fibre broadband, which sends information at the speed of light.
Eighty per cent of premises – 103,784 residential and commercial properties – across the city now benefit from a full fibre to the premises (FTTP) network, instead of older broadband connections, or ADSL, that use copper wires to transmit data.
A 113km FTTP network has been laid right across the city by infrastructure provider VX UK – which merged with Freedom Fibre earlier this year – with Keele-based LilaConnect as its internet service provider.
Jan Lange, managing director at LilaConnect, said: “To reach 80 per cent of premises being able to connect to our full-fibre network in Stoke-on-Trent is a milestone to be celebrated and is a testament to the dedication and collaborative teams in Stoke-on-Trent. We remain steadfast in our vision to provide all Stoke-on-Trent residents and businesses with first-class gigabit full fibre broadband that is future-proofed for decades to come.”
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, added: “A full-fibre gigabit broadband is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ for any city in the UK that is committed to digital transformation, it’s now a must.
“Only by having the infrastructure in place can you truly ensure that the residential and commercial premises are future-proofed which will enable them to continuously thrive and grow. This is why we have remained resolute in our commitment to achieving the ambitious goals laid out in the Silicon Stoke prospectus.”
LilaConnect is now offering a limited number of residential customers a 2.5G service. Residents and businesses interested in connecting to the full-fibre network can register their interest at www.lilaconnect.co.uk.
