York is to become the first location in the UK to offer ultra-fast broadband speeds of 1GB – or 1,000Mbps – "on a city-wide basis" after Sky and TalkTalk joined forces with CityFibre.
The new partnership will lead to the creation of a new joint venture company, which will build a "state-of-the-art, city-wide, pure fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) network".
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Tens of thousands of homes and businesses in York are set to benefit from ultra-fast services, with the first customers expected to be connected next year.
CityFibre's existing metro fibre infrastructure will be utilised in the city, while Sky and TalkTalk will then offer competing broadband services over the new network once it's completed.
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Fujitsu will also work with the joint venture company to roll out the pure FTTP network in York, with two further cities to follow in due course – although the locations have yet to be chosen.
Further details regarding branding, launch and customer pricing structures for York's ultra-fast broadband services will also be revealed later.
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In a statement, the three JV partners said this would let them test a "new cost-effective approach to building a viable pure fibre network, independent from BT Openreach's infrastructure".
The three firms also plan to work with the local community to "ensure the network delivers the numerous benefits better broadband can provide".
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TalkTalk Group chief executive Dido Harding said: "This marks TalkTalk taking its first steps into investing in building infrastructure as part of our mission to make British homes and businesses better off."
Stephen van Rooyen, managing director of Sky's Sales, Marketing and Brand Group, added: "This trial will help us understand the potential for cutting-edge technology to help us give customers an even better quality of service."
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by Pete Hayman