MP Anna Firth went to take a close look at part of the ambitious £50 million Full Fibre network construction last week, which Southend residents will have noticed is well underway in the area.

Southend was one of the first areas to be announced as being included in the project by CityFibre, which aims to provide a state-of-the-art network which will provide better efficiency, unlock millions of pounds in productivity and innovation, as well as increasing house values.

CityFibre has now completed the majority of roads in the east of the city, and is currently undertaking work in the west.

During Cllr Firth's visit, representatives from CityFibre and build partner Telelink Infra Services, provided demonstrations of the build process, including the excavation and reinstatement, in Kings Road, Westcliff.

Cllr Firth said: "CityFibre's build in Southend is turbocharging the UK's plans to build best-in-breed connectivity by 2025, creating over 100 jobs in Southend alone.

"By investing in Full Fibre, the UK has an opportunity to create thousands of highly paid, high-skill jobs in construction and engineering."

Full Fibre networks use 100 per cent fibre optic cables to carry data at light speed all the way from the home to the point of connection.

This gives users consistently faster speeds for upload and download and near limitless bandwidth and connectivity users can depend on. 

Jean Gowin, Area Manager at CityFibre, said: "Our ambition is to bolster UK towns and cities by delivering a state-of-the-art network that will future-proof their digital foundations.

"According to recent Hatch research, in Southend alone, our Full Fibre network is expected to unlock £296 million in productivity and innovation, as well as delivering a £497 million increase in house value.

"Southend was among the first projects to be announced by CityFibre, so it's really exciting to see the network grow with more addresses going live day by day. We cannot wait to see how the city will benefit in the years to come."

A spokesman for CityFibre said: "A Full Fibre connection also goes far beyond simply enabling access to the latest entertainment at lightning speed. As an essential digital utility, Full Fibre boosts households and businesses alike, with experts saying it will drive a range of economic benefits, such as making us more productive and innovative.

"Construction is being delivered by Telelink Infra Services on behalf of CityFibre. The team is using a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Southend City Council and local communities to deliver a fast rollout while managing potential disruption.

"As the network is completed in each neighbourhood, CityFibre will designate the homes 'ready for service', which means residents can choose to connect to Full Fibre-enabled broadband services when they go live in their area.

"In Southend, Gigabit-capable services are currently available from Vodafone, TalkTalk, Giganet, Zen and Digital Home.

"Across the UK, CityFibre is working with launch partner Vodafone to deliver next generation broadband services with others expected to join the network soon."

Residents interested can find out more at cityfibre.com/homes