Progress Update on CityFibre’s UK Rollout of 10Gbps XGS-PON Broadband
Network operator CityFibre has given ISPreview an update on the effort to upgrade their GPON based Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network for ISPs to XGS-PON, which can handle broadband speeds of up to 10Gbps (Gigabits per second). However, not much progress seems to have been made since the end of 2023, but it is still moving forward.
In case anybody has forgotten, CityFibre started their upgrade in the spring of 2023 (here). The operator’s network previously used Calix’s GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) technology and this invariably places constraints on how much capacity can be delivered to each end user (i.e. GPON shares capacity of 2.48Gbps downstream and 1.24Gbps upstream between 8 to 32 users).
By comparison the switch to XGS-PON, using kit and services from both Nokia and Calix, has enabled them to support symmetric speeds of 10Gbps (9.953Gbps to be exact). But like most providers using this type of platform, they initially started (here) by offering a more modest top tier of 2.5Gbps to supporting ISPs and consumers (e.g. Vodafone, TalkTalk, Zen Internet and many more).
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However, the challenge for ISPs has been in the limited coverage of CityFibre’s XGS-PON platform, which hasn’t been expanding as quickly as some might have liked. The operator had previously set a target for 90% of its fibre exchanges and 20% of its ‘Ready for Service‘ (RFS) footprint (premises) to be upgraded by the end of 2023, so we were a little surprised to find that not much had changed.
A spokesperson for CityFibre told ISPreview:
“The rollout of XGS-PON across our network continues at pace, with equipment deployed into over 90% of our fibre exchanges and new XGS-PON products already available to around 20% of our ready for service footprint as planned.
We are pleased by the progress to date but are committed to further accelerating the upgrade of our entire network to XGS-PON, supporting the introduction of an expanded symmetrical multi-gigabit product portfolio for our ISP partners and delivering world-class full fibre broadband to millions of homes.”
The catch in all this is that CityFibre has often been coy about saying precisely when they’d achieve 100% coverage of their network or close to that, which makes it difficult to judge their progress. But after a bit of nudging, we were eventually told that the operator was “on track to double our XGS-PON footprint to 40% by the end of the year” (RFS premises).
Put another way, if the operator continues to do c.20% each year then it could take another three years to complete the upgrade (by the end of 2027). But ISPreview understands that CityFibre will be looking to further accelerate the upgrade of their network throughout 2025, which could yet change that calculation in a more positive direction.
In relation to all this, we recently noted that one ISP, Yayzi Broadband, appeared to be conducting trials (here) of “upgrades on demand … so if we get X interest in an area for 2.3Gb then when it reaches this point they will upgrade the local node“, which could make it quicker for some areas to benefit from the top speeds. But we understand that CityFibre isn’t currently looking to shift to a demand led approach for XGS-PON upgrades.
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However, it is very important to remember that even the top GPON package (2Gbps down and 1Gbps upload) is still exceptionally fast, and more than the vast majority of UK consumers would either need or even be able to fully harness today.
The alternative network operator currently still aspires to cover up to 8 million UK premises with their new full fibre network (funded by c.£2.4bn in equity, c.£4.9bn debt and c.£800m of BDUK / public subsidy) – representing c.30% of the UK. So far, they’ve covered around 3.8m premises and have connected 400,000 customers (8th May 2024), but are also known to be hunting for fresh investment (here).
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Surprised so little of the GPON build has been upgraded. With the new build they’ve been doing they could’ve gone from 20 to 40% just with new nodes.
Thought they’d done a lot of upgrade already. The symmetry obsessed anonymous ALTNETS advocate said so. He reckons it’s quick and easy work.
Perhaps they should just be concentrating on getting more customers on the network seeing as their 11% take up lags well behind the altnet average of 15% (17% if you take CF out).
Despite the delay, they will no doubt be doing it quicker than BT ever will. You also have to consider the bulk of Cityfibre’s network is already XGS-PON anyway, and even on GPON, they offer higher upload speeds than BT already do on their GPON. So CF still ahead…
‘You also have to consider the bulk of Cityfibre’s network is already XGS-PON anyway’
You don’t actually read the articles you go straight to the comments, don’t ya?
‘A spokesperson for CityFibre told ISPreview:
…new XGS-PON products already available to around 20% of our ready for service footprint…’
‘… makes it difficult to judge their progress. But after a bit of nudging, we were eventually told that the operator was “on track to double our XGS-PON footprint to 40% by the end of the year” (RFS premises).’
Last I checked neither of those makes up the bulk of the network. One line card doesn’t make an entire FEX / exchange / network XGSPON.
read it as 20% of the GPON base upgraded, as they started XGS-PON roll outs some time ago.
Rest of my comment stands though.
Whataboutism.
How can CityFibre offer 2 Gbps down and 1 Gbps up over GPON while Openreach offers 1.6 Gbps download and only (iirc) 120 Mbps upload?
OpenReach offering slow upload is purely a business decision. There is no technical limitation to them offering gigabit upload.
The maximum for GPON is 2.5Gbs down and 1.25Gbs up. Openreach could offer this if they chose to do so.
“if BT chose to do so” – why wait? If you have an ALTNET doing it NOW, why wait it out for BT to some day decide to do it (other than trial areas in March 2025). BT likely to restrict to top tiers only anyway to cash grab or even make it a premium add-on just to keep down the masses to limited upload, and have a premium tier/add-on.
The UK doesn’t need to wait for dinosaur BT in a growing number of areas now, thankfully.
> why wait? If you have an ALTNET doing it NOW, why wait it out for BT to some day decide to do it
Sadly some of us don’t have that choice. The only FTTP provider in my area is OR. My town is surrounded by ALTNETs but none of them have any plans to fibre my area, and with new builds slowing I doubt I will see an ALTNET in my town anytime soon.
As they said technically possible but remember who Openreach’s customers are. They don’t sell to us they sell to CPs who then either sell to us or wholesale Openreach fibre to others.
The priorities for Openreach customers are things like cost per line, how easy it is to connect to the Openreach network, reliability, performance, support, the ordering and install process, etc, etc.
Until CPs tell Openreach they need higher uploads and higher speed services in general else they’ll use other networks there’s not much drive there. Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone aren’t using CityFibre for the higher speeds but the lower prices.
Due to their size and regulatory obligations it’s a little more complicated for Openreach to make changes than other networks and they’re very much like a giant ship going across water: it takes a long time to change direction. This is a great thing as it means smaller and more agile altnets can innovate and stand out.
If Openreach find their customer losses to altnets unacceptable then they start looking more into why and fixing it if the business case is there.
> Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone aren’t using CityFibre for the higher speeds but the lower prices.
Good guess but wrong. Watch this space…
Nah. Might be a bonus but not the main driver. As an insider I’m sure you’ll know the difference in the wholesale pricing and the terms of the deals between CF and Vodafone/TalkTalkSky relative to the deal with Openreach, right?
I’ve given up on them. Nothing has happened since September last year here. The cable and green cabinet is in place and that’s it.
The problem is no one else has built network to me yet,so I’m in no man’s land waiting…
The same happened to me, FibreNation dug up my street, built fibre to my area and then CityFibre bought them out, it took three years for FN’s cable in the ground to actually be available to order through CF. There were loops of fibre hanging off the poles for years.
Tools down today on the Three/Vod merger – either it’s been agreed or binned.
Cityfibre won’t exist in 2027, so does it really matter? The network will, but it’ll be a hotchpotch of different AltNets taht prob don’t have XGS-PON
Consolidation will happen to a number of Altnets. I wouldn’t want BT or VM controlling them though so one of the other ALTNETS would be better in my book.
@Altnettruth – who are all these altnets deploying GPON you speak of?
Valuable information, CF have been very quiet about progress, I am sure there is multiple people who will appreciate this update. Shame its only 20% a year, but at least this is better than not knowing anything.
Any kind of commitment from CF would be nice. Warwick and Leamington have been 2 years waiting since the first duct was laid and we still havent got a service.
Well, its almost the end of 2024 and Peterborough still does not have XGS-PON.
New build network just outside of Peterborough (Turves, Eastrea etc) all have XGS-PON.
When was Peterborough built out?
Logically the areas that were last on the GPON build will probably be the last to get XGS-PON (if ever) as they will be the most immature GPON areas. So bad news for builds completed in late 2023.
The install down my street was in September 2020 so most of Peterborough was done around that time.
But it did take about a year almost before we could order.