Kirklees is well on its way to becoming one of the best digitally-connected regions in the UK, it is claimed.
Construction of a 72km ultra-fast, pure fibre network began apace in March this year – with the first businesses and public sector sites in Huddersfield expected to receive services over the network from September.
The major infrastructure project begins in the town centre and will be extended across the town over the next 12 months.
The network, built by infrastructure provider CityFibre, is designed to serve Kirklees’ business community with future-proof internet connectivity.
Brighouse-based Abzorb will be the first service provider to deliver services over the CORE network and CityFibre will announce further partners as they come on board.
Faruk Amin, sales director at Abzorb, said: “We’re very excited to be partnering with CityFibre on this fantastic opportunity for Kirklees. Businesses will soon be able to benefit from internet speeds they have only dreamed of.”
So far, more than 250 local businesses have registered their interest on the Kirklees CORE website. Registration is not an obligation to take service, but by registering, organisations can signal their desire to be included in the network route.
Registered businesses will also be checked for eligibility for a government voucher scheme which offers financial grants to cover connection costs.
Kirklees Council director Jacqui Gedman said: “This is our opportunity to make Kirklees one of the most digitally advanced places in the world, with connectivity on a par with major international centres.
“Our ambition for this project is huge and I would encourage local businesses not to miss out on this opportunity to get ahead in today’s digital age.
“We have established and growing technology and media businesses in the region, who obviously rely on fast, reliable connectivity. But it is also vital to the growth of our manufacturing businesses and other sectors as they need the competitive advantage greater speeds and bandwidth can provide.”
Jason Petrou-Brown, CityFibre’s regional development manager for Kirklees, said: “We are delighted that construction work has begun and our carefully planned roll-out will start to bring gigabit connectivity to business from September this year.
“It’s great to have Abzorb, a Yorkshire-based service provider with over 20 years experience serving local and national businesses, on board and offering services today.
“We urge businesses to register their interest on the Kirklees CORE website, to take advantage of this opportunity to increase their productivity and profitability.”
The “SuperConnected Cities” scheme launched by the Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport offers vouchers of up to £3,000 for SMEs to access ultra-fast connectivity. All businesses registering for the Kirklees CORE will be evaluated for the voucher scheme.
