Brighton City Council launched the Research and Innovation Fibre Ring (RIFR) project to lay municipally controlled fibre-optic cables linking key digital sites across the city. This initiative was designed to foster digital innovation, create strategic and community wealth-building opportunities, and reduce reliance on infrastructure owned by multinational companies.
The RIFR project is part of a broader collaboration with Cooperative Network Infrastructure (CNI), a partnership that brings together public and private sector organisations to create and share digital infrastructure across Tameside, Blackpool, Manchester, and Sussex. The project’s unique model allows co-operatives of locally owned digital businesses to access and commercialise the new fibre network.