CityFibre reveals upcoming 5.5Gbps broadband plan

CityFibre has released details of an upcoming wholesale connection available to resellers offering 5.5Gbps symmetrical speeds.

This speed upgrade has been made possible using CityFibre's 10Gb XGS-PON technology, already available to 85% of homes on their network.

A full rollout is due to complete by the end of summer 2025, with "even faster Multi-Gig services due to launch in 2026".

5.5Gbps broadband

CityFibre, a wholesale broadband provider covering 4.3 million premises and the UK's largest alt-net, has announced a new connection available to resellers offering 5.5Gbps symmetrical speeds.

The new connection, available as a result of CityFibre's XGS-PON built full fibre to the home network, is capable of delivering average download speeds of 5.5Gbps, with average upload speeds also of 5.5Gbps, making it one of the UK's fastest broadband speeds.

In contrast, Openreach's current GPON-based full fibre network tops out with just 1.8Gbps average downloads with asymmetrical 120Mbps average upload speeds.

The new 5.5Gbps ultra-fast connection is already available to 85% of homes across the CityFibre network, with a full rollout scheduled to complete by the end of this summer, and even faster speeds a possibility in 2026.

While available on a wholesale basis, it may take some time for resellers, like Vodafone, who already sell CityFibre's previous fastest 2.5Gbps plan, to adopt the plan due to needing to invest in upgraded equipment, not least of all, home routers that will support the faster speed.

Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, said, "The UK's full fibre future is here, thanks to CityFibre's powerful, 10Gb XGS-PON network. Our ISP partners are already connecting customers with speeds over 2Gb and exceeding expectations when it comes to quality and reliability, but our next generation of full fibre will set a new standard for what's possible.

"CityFibre started out to challenge the incumbents and bring choice and competition to the UK market. This is another huge step-forward, giving ISPs more power and flexibility than ever before and bringing affordable Multi-Gig speeds and an unrivalled experience to millions of UK consumers."

Network competition

CityFibre have now passed over 4.3 million premises and are over halfway to their milestone target of 8 million premises across the UK.

The network is also in the process of onboarding the UK's third largest ISP, Sky, with deals due to go live sometime in 2025.

While the Telegraph (paywall) have recently reported speculation that the network is in talks with Virgin Media O2 over a potential rescue deal, or sale, CityFibre have dismissed the claims, saying, "Any speculation about a potential sale is unfounded. CityFibre is in a strong position and we expect to announce details of our financing shortly, supporting our role in consolidating the sector and accelerating CityFibre's next phase of growth."

Yet, one of their biggest resellers TalkTalk is in financial difficulties itself, with the Financial Times (paywall) reporting on threats from the incumbent wholesaler, Openreach, to block new TalkTalk customer signups over unpaid bills. A move which could be critical for the ISP, as well as their partners, including CityFibre.

With the competitive landscape accelerating for UK broadband networks, we've also seen other alt-nets announce plans to start reselling Openreach full fibre connections in a bid to reach more customers without the strain of investing in their own network build.

Indeed, research carried out by Neos Networks in May 2025, from 100 Senior Decision Makers at UK-based alternative network providers (Altnets), found almost 96% of altnets are considering mergers, acquisitions or partnerships to survive in the UK broadband market.

The survey also found altnets were looking at providing additional services in order to remain competitive, including smart home tech (46%), business connections (43%), security solutions (42%), and home entertainment plans like TV (35%).

While TV and broadband is not so surprising, we have already seen altnet LightSpeed offering smart home security bundles.

Lee Myall, CEO at Neos Networks said, "Altnets have played a pivotal role in reshaping the UK's connectivity landscape, driving the expansion of full-fibre networks and challenging established incumbents. However, the industry now stands at a crucial crossroads. Heightened competition, financial pressures, and shifting regulatory frameworks mean that Altnets must evolve rapidly to secure their long-term future.

"Our research highlights that Altnets are exploring a variety of strategies - from mergers and acquisitions to strategic partnerships and service diversification - to strengthen their market position and pave the way for sustainable growth.".