The idea of a “hypercity” might sound futuristic, as though it belongs to a world of flying taxis and autonomous everything.
But in truth, it begins with something far simpler – the quality of the digital infrastructure beneath our feet.
Fibre-optic cables, gigabit speeds, and reliable connectivity form the invisible backbone of every modern economy. Cardiff is now officially a hypercity, and behind that milestone lies years of planning, collaboration, and investment.
Elevate is proud to have worked alongside Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government to deliver a city-wide fibre network that sets a new standard for Wales.
Before this project, many areas of Cardiff faced serious connectivity issues. Businesses struggled with patchy internet speeds, sluggish upload times, and endless delays when trying to move offices or upgrade systems. The digital infrastructure simply hadn’t kept up with the pace of business growth. That’s why the council and government made a bold decision to invest in creating a world-class network that would support future economic development.
When the opportunity came to find the right partner to build it, Elevate was chosen because we’d already delivered similar city-scale projects across the UK, in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham. Cardiff became our sixth full-fibre city, and one of the most ambitious. More than 170 kilometres of new fibre were installed – not leased lines from legacy providers but our own dedicated network, managed and maintained entirely by Elevate engineers.
The result is a network that offers speed, reliability, and, just as importantly, accountability. Businesses now have a named contact, a local support team, and a service designed specifically for them rather than a one-size-fits-all model.
But the story doesn’t stop there. Elevate’s approach goes beyond simply laying fibre.
We’ve introduced a service called Pre-Connect, which allows us to install infrastructure in commercial buildings before tenants even move in. For landlords, it reduces void periods and increases the appeal of their properties. For tenants, it means they can be connected and operational within days rather than weeks, without the legal delays of traditional wayleaves. It transforms connectivity from a constant frustration into a genuine asset, one that adds value to the commercial property market and creates an easier path for new businesses to thrive in the city.
Digital connectivity is no longer just a technical issue; it’s a business growth issue. Whether you’re a fintech firm in the city centre, a logistics company on Newport Road, or a creative agency in the Bay, reliable high-speed internet is fundamental to how you operate and compete.
Through Elevate’s Cardiff network, businesses can now access speeds of up to 10Gbps. But the real value lies in what surrounds that connection – managed Wi-Fi, cybersecurity, SD-WAN, and complete “ground to cloud” solutions that give organisations one provider to manage everything from their office network to their cloud infrastructure. No more juggling multiple vendors or wasting time trying to find who’s responsible when something goes wrong. One partner, one service, one accountable team.
Our vision is to build more than just a network. We’re building partnerships with landlords, agents, local IT providers and, most importantly, the business community itself.
Cardiff’s journey to becoming a hypercity shows what’s possible when public and private sectors collaborate around a shared goal: to future-proof a city and unlock its potential for innovation and inward investment.
