VX Fiber has appointed Eric Hargrave to the newly created role of City Manager. Reporting into Richard Watts, UK Country Manager, he will be responsible for the delivery of VX Fiber’s digital infrastructure projects in Bristol and across the South West.

Eric brings his unrivalled experience in driving commercial value from digital connectivity to VX Fiber. By cultivating relationships with regional partners he will ensure that the local investment into digital infrastructure projects, as well as upgrades to a future-proof full fibre network, deliver on their promise of improving the speed, stability and availability of best-in class internet connectivity. As a result, this will enable residents and businesses living in Bristol and the South West to reap, through innovative technology, the economic and socio-economic benefits that only a gigabit connected smart city and region can offer.

Eric joins VX Fiber from Bristol City Council, where he held the role of Business Development and Commercial Manager. He was part of the initial team, working alongside VX Fiber, that defined the strategy for, and created the business plan to, expand Bristol City Council’s 235 km full fibre network. This network is managed by its internationally award-winning Operations Centre, which uses smart technology to provide CCTV, traffic management and emergency responses to incidents. This would not be possible without its own dedicated fibre network.

Bristol City Council is on a mission to ensure that no citizen is digitally excluded by being unable to access good quality and affordable full fibre connectivity. As such it will be extending the remit of this innovative digital infrastructure to include schools, as well as, adult and social care. VX Fiber’s Open Access model makes it uniquely qualified to help deliver on these aims, within Bristol and the wider region.

Eric Hargrave, City Manager, Bristol & South West, said: “Bristol and the South West has ambitious growth plans. There are so many innovative companies based here such as IT, creative and media that are expanding fast and fuelling regional economic growth. State-of-the-art digital infrastructure will further enhance this, providing a real step change for the local economy. I look forward to working with stakeholders across Bristol and the South West to ensure we maximise all these opportunities while streamlining processes and optimising efficiency.”

Richard Watts, Country Manager UK, added: “Eric will be a wonderful asset to our team. He brings a wealth of local knowledge and experience in leading digital projects from within the council. This will be invaluable in helping us better understand how VX Fiber can further support and drive our work in the region as its digital partner.”

Both Richard and Eric will be attending the MIPIMWorld conference in Cannes on 14th to 17th March and can be found at the Invest Bristol & Bath stand, located at Riviera 9 within the Seaview Village.