New 1Gbps FTTP Broadband Network Goes Live in Colchester UK

VXFIBER (inc. subsidiary LilaConnect) has today announced that their new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network in the large town of Colchester (Essex, England) has started to go live, with some 1,200 homes across Berechurch and Shrub End now able to get it installed.

The rollout began in March 2021 and originally aimed to cover 25,000 premises in the town (here), but their first target is actually 8,000. In order to deliver this, the operator has taken a similar approach to their Stoke-on-Trent build, which means that the first stage involves the extension of an existing Dark Fibre network to reach public sector sites (supported by £3.24m from the UK Government’s LFFN fund).

Alongside all that, the operator is also understood to have invested some of its own money (we think c.£10m), which has been used to extend this network outwards to cover local homes and businesses. A further 4,500 homes are now predicted to ‘go live’ in the area by the end of the year.

Brett Shepherd, MD of LilaConnect & VX Fiber Group COO Infrastructure, said:

“We’re thrilled to announce LilaConnect going live in Berechurch and Shrub End. Construction works on the ground across Colchester is progressing extremely well, and the early signs of interest has exceeded our expectations.

Access to gigabit connectivity is an integral part of 21st century living. But It’s much more than just streaming video and music or online shopping, it’s also about transforming communities with improvements such as better access to employment, education and healthcare.

I’d encourage everyone who can, to switch to the new technology and take advantage of the many benefits that full fibre brings. ‘Full fibre’ is more reliable and more resilient meaning fewer faults and more reliable, consistent speeds. It is also ‘future-proof’ to easily meet the growing data demands of future technologies. Our ‘open access’ approach also enables customers to enjoy exceptional services, freedom of choice, at competitive prices.”

We should point out that the operator’s subsidiary, LilaConnect, is the one responsible for marketing, selling, installing and maintaining the connections from this new infrastructure to residents and businesses. Lila supplies access via a number of ISPs – such as Air Broadband, Breeze Fibre and Pure Broadband etc.

In terms of local gigabit-capable broadband competition, the majority of Colchester is already covered by Virgin Media’s (VMO2) fixed line network. Local ISP County Broadband, which tends to focus more on rural areas, has also deployed into some surrounding areas (outside the town), while Openreach, Hyperoptic and OFLN all have a few patches of full fibre connectivity inside the town.