READING is fast becoming an area where speeding is the norm. No, not on the roads but on the information superhighway … or the internet in more modern parlance.
Over the past 18 months, work has been undertaken to upgrade the town’s internet connections, bringing fibre optic to the home – and with it some of the fastest speeds on the planet.
According to new research four in 10 Ding adults are ready to make the switch – and with it possible to download an HD-quality movie in just 38 seconds, it’s no wonder.
Around 30,000 residents can now access the gigabit speeds, with more homes being switched over every week.
And while CityFibre is providing the £57 million infrastructure, other companies are able to make the most of its network.
The newest kid on the block is Zen Internet, charging just £29.99 per month for the lightning fast speeds.
Full fibre broadband is a different type of connection than the UK has traditionally deployed. The old-fashioned copper wires that delivered traditional broadband were great for carrying phone calls, but can cause problems when used for data. Full fibre swaps these old-fashioned copper wires for a faster, more modern connection delivered via fibre optic cables.
While Virgin Media has been providing this service to Reading, under a number of different names, since the 1980s, this is the first time that it has been made available to every home in the town.
Paul Stobart, CEO at Zen Internet, said: “The next few years will be absolutely pivotal for connectivity in the home.
“Deemed the gold rush decade, the 2020s will see the implementation of full fibre across the nation.
“By 2030, everyone will have made the switch to full-fibre. Today, though, people in Reading can get ahead of the curve by accessing Zen’s award-winning service delivered over CityFibre’s high-quality infrastructure.”
He said: “Being named the only Which? Recommended Provider for Broadband for two consecutive years and topping the table for seven is a testament to our commitment to providing our customers with a high-quality service.
“We want to inspire the residents of Reading to choose the right path when it comes to their internet connectivity, which will in turn unlock the power of sharing, learning, and communication.”
And Stacey King, City Manager for CityFibre in Reading, said it has been a pleasure to welcome Zen into its Reading network.
“This provides consumers with increased choice when selecting broadband packages and I look forward to more and more people experiencing the benefits that our future-proof digital infrastructure has to offer,” she said.
