CityFibre takeover includes Project Gigabit contract
CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent fibre platform, has announced the acquisition of Connexin’s fibre infrastructure. This gives CityFibre “a material foothold across Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire, with the possibility of expanding its footprint by up to 185,000 premises. Connexin’s shareholder, PATRIZIA’s European Infrastructure Fund II, will now become a minority shareholder in CityFibre.
The acquisition includes Connexin’s built network assets which currently pass more than 80,000 premises, as well as work in progress to a further 20,000 premises and options to extend further across Hull.
Tenth Project Gigabit contract
CityFibre will also take on Connexin’s Project Gigabit contract to roll out gigabit-capable broadband to more than 34,000 hard-to-reach premises in Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire. This will become the tenth Project Gigabit delivery contract secured by CityFibre1 and will unlock a future expansion to over 50,000 non-subsidised premises in the target regions.
CityFibre will immediately begin integrating Connexin’s XGS-PON network to bring CityFibre’s wholesale products, pricing and services across the footprint. CityFibre expects to complete the integration later this year, extending its nationwide network which already passes more than 4.4m premises.
CityFibre says the acquisition underscores its commitment “to actively engaging in market consolidation as part of its nationwide rollout to more than 8 million premises”. CityFibre acquired Lit Fibre in May 2024 and fully integrated it in less than nine months.
Connexin will now expand nationwide, across CityFibre’s network, building on its IoT base, including the deployment of out one of the UK’s largest LoRaWAN networks with contracts for over 2 million smart water meters.
Outstanding network
Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, said, “Connexin has built an outstanding network and it’s a brilliant fit for CityFibre. Our mature wholesale model will now bring Hull’s homes and businesses increased choice and access to unrivalled connectivity products, services and prices. After our rapid integration of Lit Fibre’s network, we have demonstrated that this is an effective way to expand our footprint and we look forward to playing an active role in the sector’s accelerating consolidation in 2025.
“Given our major role in the government’s Project Gigabit rollout, we are also pleased to take on a further contract, delivering next-generation digital infrastructure for more hard-to-reach rural communities across Nottingham and West Lincolnshire.”
Furqan Alamgir, CEO of Connexin, added, “We’re thrilled to partner with CityFibre as we focus on our national growth strategy. This partnership will bring the best of our combined expertise to consumers and businesses alike across the UK.
“The next phase of our growth is tremendously exciting as we accelerate…expanding our Smarter Home, Business, Enterprise, Public Sector and Utilities products and services across the UK, enabling these rapidly evolving markets to achieve ambitious goals through adopting smarter technology.”
Phoebe Smith, Managing Director, PATRIZIA Infrastructure, continued, “This agreement is a great step forward for infrastructure competition in Hull…We’re very proud of everything Connexin has achieved, and we look forward to continuing to support its growth as a leading provider of LoRaWAN and IoT infrastructure”
1 The nine Project Gigabit Lots won by CityFibre are:
- Cambridgeshire
- Norfolk
- Suffolk
- Hampshire
- Leicestershire and Warwickshire
- East and West Sussex
- Kent
- Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes
- East Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire
