Vodafone Boosts Mobile Network With CityFibre Backhaul

CityFibre will provide backhaul services to Vodafone, connecting some of the mobile operator’s mast infrastructure and corporate customers to the former’s gigabit networks.

The Master Services Agreement (MSA) will first take effect in York, although CityFibre has networks in a number of other cities in the UK.

The York network forms part of a wider fibre to the premise (FTTP) rollout in the city as part of a joint-venture between CityFibre, Sky and TalkTalk to develop a rival to BT Openreach.

Vodafone backhaul

“This contract from Vodafone marks yet another important milestone for CityFibre, following two years of engagement and negotiations with this important new partner,” said CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch.

“As an approved supplier to Vodafone, CityFibre now has the opportunity to bring enhanced pure fibre connectivity to Vodafone’s customers. Furthermore, the addition of Vodafone to our partner ecosystem means that CityFibre has now secured trading relationships with the majority of Tier 1 service providers in the business and mobile connectivity markets.”

CityFibre already provides dark fibre backhaul services to EE and Three’s infrastructure joint-venture Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL) in Hull. However CityFibre opposes Ofcom’s proposals to allow third party communication providers to access BT’s dark fibre, claiming such regulation would harm investment.

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