Vodafone to offer ultra-fast broadband to millions

Vodafone has signed new deals with CityFibre and BT Openreach which it claims will make it the largest provider of ultra-fast broadband in the UK.

The telecoms giant does not own its own fixed-line network and instead leases from other companies.

Eight million UK residents will have access to its service by Spring 2022.

Analysts say the move should be good for consumers, as other providers push to have a similar reach.

Vodafone first partnered with CityFibre in 2017, in a deal thought to be worth around £500 million.

The "alt-network" is the largest company outside of the main telecom giants to lay fibre in the UK in recent years, with around 50 internet providers currently making use of its infrastructure.

The agreement with Vodaphone will support CityFibre's pledge to reach 285 cities, towns and villages by 2025, in the UK.

"A couple of years back we were new to broadband but by spring we will have the widest fibre-to-the-premises footprint in the UK," Ahmed Essam, chief executive of Vodafone UK, told the Financial Times.

Mr. Essam said that by not owning its own fixed-line network the company has been free to expand its reach at a faster rate than otherwise would have been possible.

"BT will always sell on BT. Virgin Media will always sell on Virgin Media," he said of his main rivals. 

Mark Jackson, editor at ISPreview, told the BBC that the move is likely to have a positive impact on consumers.

"Crucially, this change isn't unique to Vodafone, with CityFibre looking to provide a similar level of nationwide coverage to other ISPs.

"We fully expect the likes of TalkTalk, for example, to follow suit in the near future. For consumers, this simply means a greater degree of choice, which is often faster and more affordable than what they had access to before. That's a good thing," he added.