Homes across Northampton can now access full fibre broadband with Zen over the CityFibre network

fizkes - stock.adobe.com
Tens of thousands of customers across Northampton can now get access to the country’s finest full fibre network – and with a contract price promise.

Over 87,700 homes in Northampton and surrounding areas now have access to CityFibre’s full fibre network, approximately 82% of the town’s residential footprint.  

Research shows that monthly contract price, reliability and speed are revealed as the top three factors when choosing broadband provider for consumers, especially as over two fifths of UK adults have experienced a mid-contract price rise within the last year, leaving people feeling angry (45%), frustrated (40%), and deceived (25%)

According to research* carried out  with thousands of people on behalf of Zen Internet, over two in five (44%) are likely to consider switching broadband provider in the next year or when their contract is up for renewal as they continue to feel angry, frustrated, and deceived by mid-contract price rises.

Now, residents of Northampton can access a new full fibre service from Zen Internet, delivered over the CityFibre network.

The findings come as many providers will be adding the UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 4% plus an additional margin, usually of 3.9%, to their customer’s monthly bills this spring. Zen, the UK’s only Which? recommended provider for broadband offers a contract price promise, meaning the price a customer signs up for will remain fixed for the duration of the contract.

Zen

Full fibre broadband from Zen over the CityFibre network will provide homes in Northampton with a faster and more reliable service at a time when contract price (54%), reliability (51%), and speed (50%) are major factors when choosing a broadband provider. Almost all homes passed by the network in Northampton can now schedule a full fibre installation within five working days of placing an order.

Charles Kitchin, Partnership Manager at CityFibre: said: “I’m delighted that the primary-build of our full fibre network in Northampton has been completed. The rollout is an exciting step for the town’s digital connectivity, which will benefit from faster and more reliable broadband. Residents can now enjoy seamless streaming, even when using multiple devices at once, with ample productivity and innovation benefits for the local economy.” 

An economic impact report by the consultancy Hatch, commissioned by CityFibre, found Northampton stands to experience significant economic, social and environmental benefits from its new digital infrastructure platform, including over £603m in productivity and innovation gains and £133m from a widened workforce over a 15-year period. Enabling 5G rollout alone could drive up to £1bn in positive economic impact.   

“The next few years will be pivotal for connectivity in the home. Deemed the gold rush decade, the 2020s will see implementation of full fibre across the nation. By 2030, everyone will have made the switch to full fibre. Today, people in Northampton can get ahead of the curve by accessing full fibre with Zen over CityFibre’s high quality infrastructure."

David Barber, Strategy Director at Zen Internet

What can you do with gigabit speeds?

Full fibre broadband is a different type of connection than the UK has traditionally deployed. The old-fashioned copper wires that delivered traditional broadband were great for carrying phone calls but can cause problems when used for data. Full fibre swaps these old-fashioned copper wires for a faster, more modern, and reliable connection delivered via fibre optic cables.

Full fibre is currently available to circa 67% of the UK with speeds of up to 900Mbps. It has the capability to unlock the full potential of every smart device in the home and provides a solid platform for future proofing a home’s connectivity requirements with the capability to unlock any number of smart home applications and Internet of Things (IoT) devices of the future.

Zen

The service can be accessed at several speed options ranging from £28 per month for Full Fibre 100 up to £40 per month for the fastest product available, Full Fibre 900, all with free set-up.

For more information visit the website.

*The research for Zen Internet was carried out online by Opinion matters throughout December 2023 amongst a panel resulting in 2,004 UK adults (16+) responding. All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998).