CityFibre Fibre Broadband Deals

About CityFibre broadband fibre

CityFibre is one of the latest fibre broadband solutions available to towns and cities across the UK. The provider has experienced incredible growth since entering the industry and is now the largest alternative fibre broadband provider.

Who is CityFibre Fibre?

CityFibre is a full-fibre broadband provider which specifically offers services to large towns and cities within the UK. The company’s aim is to future-proof and transform the UK’s digital infrastructure by offering a wholesale fibre network and building ‘Gigabit Cities’.

The company itself is privately owned by West Street Infrastructure and Antin Infrastructure Partners, with its headquarters based in London. The complex network consists of metro networks and long-distance networks, which provide fibre to more than 60 towns and cities. The expansive network includes data centres and peering points in major cities such as London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, which provide access to smaller towns and cities such as Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Crawley, Solihull and Barnsley.

CityFibre Fibre broadband speed

The CityFibre network is capable of delivering ‘full-fibre’ connectivity with Gigabit-capable connections. Full fibre is a term used to describe networks which deliver fibre to the premises (FTTP). This means the full network uses a fibre cable, rather than the slower FTTC connections which use older copper cabling to take the connection from the cabinet to your home.

How fast is CityFibre fibre broadband?

Full fibre connections offer the best possible speeds available, so data-heavy tasks such as cloud backups, VoIP and remote backups should be quick and easy. The ultrafast Gigabit speeds available are designed to ensure homes and businesses across the country are able to utilise the latest technology, while also providing brilliant reliability.

According to Ofcom, the average download speeds within the UK in May 2020 were 64Mbps, with average upload speeds of 14Mbps. So, if you are used to an ADSL connection or even an FTTC connection, you will instantly notice a radical improvement in your online speeds. The actual speeds available will vary between each home, but there is no doubt that if a CityFibre connection is available, you will receive excellent speeds in comparison to standard broadband.

What speeds are available with CityFibre fibre-optic broadband?

CityFibre offers customers a Gigabit-speed internet connection, which means customers can achieve speeds of up to 1000Mbps. If you are a large household with many people looking to stream Ultra HD and 4K TV at once, this is the type of connection you need for seamless downloading. Even during the evening when everyone is trying to get online, you will never face the dreaded buffer symbol. It is also a great option for those who need a fast and reliable connection to work from home, with speeds allowing fast file sharing and reliable access to the cloud.

The full fibre connection also means that customers benefit from symmetrical upload and download speeds when the connection uses the CityFibre infrastructure. So, if you have a package which offers you average download speeds of 100Mbps, you will also benefit from upload speeds of 100Mbps. Those with a broadband package which is part of the asymmetric Openreach network, such as those offered by Sky and BT, will have much slower upload speeds. For example, Openreach could offer customers 100Mbps of download speeds, however, the upload speeds may only offer 20Mbps. To compare more differences between Openreach and CityFibre, read our full guide. 

Although providers offer average speeds as estimates of how fast downloads and uploads are likely to be, the exact speeds will vary depending on your location. Other factors such as the equipment, the range of the router, the number of connected devices and the layout of your home will have an impact on the exact speeds you receive.

To test CityFibre Speed please use the City Fibre speed test

CityFibre fibre broadband Review

CityFibre is most well-known for providing wholesale connections to resellers, with businesses often the most popular end users. However, millions of residential customers are signed up to packages via resellers such as Vodafone and TalkTalk. As the latest wholesale fibre infrastructure, it is no surprise that the Gigabit Cities they are building are growing in popularity, with estimates suggesting the company could be supplying up to 8 million homes in the near future.

Is CityFibre fibre broadband good?

The full fibre service offered by CityFibre is often described as the ‘gold standard’ for internet connectivity, in terms of speed, reliability and bandwidth. However, it is the independent network infrastructure which really makes CityFibre stand out from other providers. Instead of using the popular Openreach network, CityFibre has its own purpose-built fibre network which offers a more flexible solution and guaranteed resilience.

According to CityFibre, the growing network has unlimited capacity, with an ability to support every home, business and public site throughout the UK. Although this is a new network solution, CityFibre has a proven reliability record and a growing architecture to support the needs of homes in the UK’s largest towns and cities. As we continue to demand faster broadband and more reliable connections, CityFibre is obviously preparing and evolving to meet users’ needs both now and in the future.

If you are looking for an alternative Gigabit service to those available via the CityFibre network, there are some other providers which offer a Gigabit fibre broadband service. These include HyperOptic, the BT Full Fibre package and Virgin Media Broadband Gig1 Fibre broadband plan. Availability will depend on where you live, as these services are not available throughout the whole of the UK yet.

CityFibre fibre broadband Packages

The company is based in London, however, significant investments have been made to create major fibre infrastructures throughout the largest towns and cities in the UK. CityFibre has recently announced partnerships with a range of providers such as Vodafone and TalkTalk, which will see full-fibre provided to millions of homes and businesses around the UK.

However, CityFibre also offers a selection of direct Ethernet services via official resellers and partners, which are mainly tailored to business customers and those involved in the public service sectors.

What CityFibre fibre packages are available?

As a residential customer, you will need to subscribe to fibre services through a CityFibre partner. The packages available via the CityFibre and Vodafone partnership are known as Gigafast plans, with 4 ultrafast options available. These are some of the fastest home broadband services available in the UK, with full-fibre technology that is up to 14 times faster than FTTC connections.

Superfast FTTC connections are available to more than 90% of UK homes and businesses, however, the number of towns and cities able to access Vodafone Gigafast plans are limited. If you are located in an area which is part of the CityFibre network, you could benefit from unlimited download speeds and prices starting from just £28 per month, including line rental.

All of the Gigafast Broadband plans are offered with a 24-month contract, which is longer than many of the packages offered by other providers. However, the prices are competitive, and Vodafone will pay a £100 contribution if you are leaving your current provider during a contract to switch to the Vodafone service.

Vodafone Gigafast Broadband 100 (exclusive CityFibre partnership)

This is the most basic Gigafast plan offered via Vodafone’s partnership with CityFibre. The package offers average download and upload speeds of 100Mbps, with prices starting from £28 per month including line rental. This plan is ideal for homes which need to connect multiple devices, with speeds able to provide lightning-fast gaming.

Vodafone Gigafast Broadband 200 (exclusive CityFibre partnership)

The Vodafone Gigafast Broadband 200 package uses the CityFibre full-fibre network to provide homes with average download speeds of 200Mbps, with prices starting from £35 per month. This package is ideal for busy homes, with multiple people looking for a fast gaming experience, quick uploads and excellent video calling capabilities. As a rough guide, the time it will take to download a 50GB video game using this connection will be just 33 minutes, in comparison to the UK average of 1 hour and 44 minutes.

Vodafone Gigafast Broadband 500 (exclusive CityFibre partnership)

This superfast Vodafone CityFibre package offers homes an amazing average download speed of 500Mbps, with a plan which costs £45 per month, including line rental. This excellent plan will keep the whole family entertained, with speeds capable of supporting multiple devices which are all relying on fast uploads and downloads. This connection will allow you to download a full HD movie in just 1 minute and 4 seconds, which is quicker than the time it will take for you to make a cup of tea.

Vodafone Gigafast Broadband 900 (exclusive CityFibre partnership)

This is the fastest of the Gigafast packages offered via Vodafone and the CityFibre infrastructure, with average download speeds of 900Mbps. The prices start from £55 per month, which is more expensive than some fibre options, but it is one of the fastest package available in the UK. Whatever your broadband requirements, this plan is great for everything, with Gigafast speeds to back up streaming, gaming, large file uploads and video calling. For example, you will be able to upload a 16GB file in just 4 minutes and 16 seconds, compared to a UK average of 2 hours and 32 minutes. Alternatively, if video gaming is your passion, you will be able to download a 50GB video game in just 7 minutes and 24 seconds, which is significantly faster than the UK average.

CityFibre fibre broadband offers

There are no specific CityFibre broadband offers available, instead, these are offered via the delivery partners. For example, Vodafone offers a variety of deals and discounts to its customers who sign up for one of their Gigafast plans. At the time of writing, Vodafone is offering their Gigafast customers a free Apple TV 4K set-top box, with a 1-year subscription to Apple TV+. This is worth more than £200 and those who sign up to these plans will also receive unlimited anytime calls to all UK mobile and landline numbers.

In addition, there are discounts of up to £3 per month available to Vodafone mobile customers who have a phone or SIM-only contract. The maximum discount is available to those with 18 month or 24-month contracts, although shorter mobile contracts and mobile broadband contracts will still receive a £2 per month discount. This is known as the Vodafone Together discount, with customers also receiving an additional 50GB of mobile data via the Vodafone Stay Connected Promise.

How much does CityFibre broadband cost?

The exact price of CityFibre broadband depends on the provider you choose to provide your connection to the CityFibre infrastructure. However, as the Vodafone packages are so competitive, you are may decide to consider their plans. The price for Vodafone Gigafast connections starts from £28 per month for the slowest packages, with the fastest 900Mbps connection offered for £55 per month.

In comparison to other providers which offer average download speeds of 900Mbps, this package is competitive. Although HyperOptic offers a plan which costs £45 per month, there is an upfront cost to consider. The other providers which offer packages with this impressive speed are more expensive and upfront charges apply, however, there may be shorter contract lengths available. As always, you should compare the options available to you to find the most competitive deal for your specific requirements.

How long is the minimum contract length for CityFibre fibre broadband?

The contract length will depend on the exact partner service you choose, however, in terms of the Vodafone Gigafast packages, the minimum contract length is 24 months. If you decide to cancel the service within 14 days of activation, you will need to return the router and any additional equipment within 30 days, otherwise, you may be charged a replacement fee. However, by cancelling within 14 days, you will be refunded any payments made so far, including the delivery and installation costs.

Once 14 days have passed, you will need to pay an early termination fee to end your contract. The exact cost will vary depending on the monthly charge of your fibre broadband service and the remaining time left on your contract. You will need to provide 30 days’ notice if you are ending your contract early and Vodafone will confirm the exact cancellation charge you will need to pay.

CityFibre fibre broadband Checker

The quickest way to check whether you are located in a CityFibre town or city is to enter your postcode into the company’s website. Alternatively, a useful drop-down list displays the various areas which are included within the CityFibre network. The actual fibre broadband service you receive will depend on the partner you use to provide the connection, so it is also advisable to check the availability of the service to you via partner sites by entering your postcode and landline telephone number into their own availability checker.

How do I check if CityFibre fibre broadband is in my area?

The CityFibre website offers a quick tool which allows potential customers to enter their postcode to check whether their home can be connected. If you are not located within a CityFibre area, you will be asked to provide your details so that you can be updated about future availability.

CityFibre aims to connect as many homes to the Gigabit Cities network as possible, however, there are legal and physical constraints. This means that not every area is able to receive these connections, although the company is working hard to expand its infrastructure.

What is CityFibre’s fibre coverage in the UK?

The easiest way to check the general availability within areas of the UK is to visit the Gigabit Cities section of the CityFibre website. A useful drop-down menu will allow you to scroll through the various towns and cities, where you can select your area and find out more about current availability and future fibre roll-out within your area.

CityFibre fibre broadband availability checker

The CityFibre postcode checker is available via the CityFibre website, with both houses and flats able to check whether they can connect. If the availability checker shows that you are able to receive a CityFibre connection, the tool will also let you know which broadband providers in your area are offering connections via the CityFibre network. This is because CityFibre does not supply its fibre services directly, instead, the connection is resold via a range of providers.

It is worth noting that you will need to prove that you own your home before you can connect. If you are a tenant, you will need to ask your landlord or managing agent to send their written permission to landlords@cityfibre.com.

CityFibre Fibre Customer Services

If you have any queries and would like to contact the CityFibre customer service team, you can either call or complete the quick online form, which is available via the CityFibre website. It is also possible to contact the team via their Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages.

What is the CityFibre customer service number

The CityFibre customer service number is 0800 083 6160, alternatively, you can contact the team via email using the following address: sales@cityfibre.com.