VX Fiber and Colchester Fibre have joined forces to build and roll out a true gigabit full fibre network to over 3,500 homes and businesses in Wivenhoe.

From today, the majority of residents and businesses will have access to one of the fastest, most reliable internet connections anywhere in the UK. The network build is nearing completion, with the final stages to deploy this new, lightning-fast network due to take place in early 2023.

The collaboration between Colchester Fibre and VX Fiber is a first of its kind between a local authority owned Internet Service Provider (ISP) and an alt-net provider. It has been made possible because of VX Fiber’s unique proposition of building ‘true’ open access networks that can be used by other UK ISP’s.

Colchester Fibre (part of Colchester Amphora Trading) is an ISP that is wholly owned by Colchester Borough Council. By securing significant government and private investment, it is on a mission to make Colchester and the surrounding area, one of the best-connected places in the UK. By providing those living and working in Wivenhoe with the very best full fibre to the Premises (FTTP) network, Colchester Fibre’s partnership with VX Fiber brings it another step closer to achieving this ambitious goal.

Digital infrastructure specialist VX Fiber has built a future-proof network using the latest technology, with a large Software-Defined Network capable of serving the whole community. Until now, Wivenhoe residents have had access only to traditional broadband networks using fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) and obsolete copper lines.

Every connection made to the VX Fiber network is a dedicated point-to-point link, as opposed to the shared fibre-optic connections (GPON) often used by competitors. Therefore, bandwidth and capacity are not shared, ensuring the highest fibre experience.  This ensures that residents and business owners in Wivenhoe can benefit from a ‘direct’ full fibre solution that offers greater stability and reduces the chance for a dropped connection.

Colchester Fibre’s cooperation with VX Fiber is now into its fourth year, with extensive network development having taken place across Colchester city centre and many suburban locations.

 Richard Watts, UK Country Manager at VX Fiber, said: “Fast and reliable connectivity has shifted from being a luxury to being more of an everyday utility.  As the leading provider of open access full fibre networks, collaborating with one of the most innovative, council owned, pure-fibre broadband operators – Colchester Fibre – we are able to provide towns such as Wivenhoe with the stable, reliable and high-speed internet connectivity they require.

“It truly is refreshing to see a local authority putting the community’s digital needs first ensuring that Wivenhoe – and the whole of Colchester for that matter – is future-proofed with the highest quality and high-speed broadband. As a result, residents and businesses will be able to enjoy the economic and socio-economic benefits of a digital economy today and tomorrow.”

Steven Eke, Business Development Manager for Colchester Fibre explained: “The community comes first at Colchester Fibre – as such we are committed to ensuring that every resident and business in Wivenhoe has the opportunity to connect to the best full fibre broadband on the market. This has been made possible through this first of its kind partnership with VX Fiber. From today those living and working in the town can benefit from gigabit connectivity that meets the needs of an ever-evolving digital economy and world. It doesn’t end there; they can also rest assured that all profits from Colchester Fibre are reinvested for the benefit of the wider community.”

At present, VX Fiber is providing full fibre connectivity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses across the UK. Stoke-on-Trent and wider Staffordshire, Colchester, Crewe and Nantwich; as well as Bristol and London are among the sites, with more to come in 2022/3 and beyond.