CityFibre connects Dundee Waterfront Project

CityFibre says it has completed installation of a dark fiber link that connects Dundee City Council's new headquarters to a second data center. The work is part of a GBP270 million revitalization project within the Scottish city.

The fiber-optic link plays a key role in the Dundee City Council’s strategy to reduce the cost of the new headquarters by enabling a smaller infrastructure. The network will enable the use of “hotdesking” and flexible work arrangements that reduced the amount of space the facility required to house its staff. The building accommodates around 600 desks with a ratio of 10 staff to every eight desks.

Ged Bell, head of IT at Dundee City Council said, "This was a flagship project for us; it was a vital part in the whole Waterfront development. CityFibre's dark fiber technology provided us with exactly the capacity requirements that we needed. Their costing strategy and willingness to work with us were also big contributory factors in or decision to select them as a partner. There was no-one else that could meet our needs in terms of the capacity and at a price we could afford."

The dark fiber network contract was originally signed in October 2010 and outlined a 10-year agreement with no capital investment or connection charge for the council. However, last January the council altered its initial specification to include the installation of an additional eight fiber pairs, four on each route.