Work underway to boost Blackpool's internet speeds

Mr Maynard was given a tour of CityFibre’s Bispham headquarters to see for himself the work being done in the resort as part of a £60m town wide project supported by Blackpool Council.

The scheme is aimed at boosting internet connection and improving data download speeds.

During the visit, representatives from CityFibre and its build partner, Telent, provided demonstrations of the typical build process, including excavation and reinstatement.

Mr Maynard said: “We have been backing CityFibre’s investment in Blackpool since the works began in 2021.

“Seeing the progress made to date and the enthusiasm behind modernising our infrastructure is promising not only for our people, but also our businesses and educations centres that will benefit greatly from the new full fibre network.”

Steve Thorpe, CityFibre’s area manager for Blackpool, added: “Rolling out the latest full fibre network in Blackpool is a critical step in fulfilling our ambition to bolster UK towns and cities by making their digital foundations future proof.

“The potential benefits of better connectivity are vast, and in Blackpool alone the economic benefits are set to be significant, with productivity and innovation benefits expected to reach £167m.

“It was a pleasure to show Mr Maynard our progress, and we look forward to seeing how the next stages of the rollout develop.”

CityFibre says it is using a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with the council and the community to deliver a fast rollout while managing potential disruption.

As the network is completed in each neighbourhood, CityFibre will designate the homes ‘ready for service’, which means residents can choose to connect to full fibre-enabled broadband services when they go live in their area.

Blackpool has received £3.1m of government funding in 2018 towards rolling out full fibre internet to homes and businesses.

A Digital Vision was unveiled last year involving representatives from the community, health, transport, education and business focussing on improving digital literacy, supporting tech start-ups and ensuring access to affordable high-speed broadband for all Blackpool residents.