Alternative rural broadband provider Quickline, which is building a full fibre (FTTP) and fixed wireless (FWA) network across rural parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England, has announced that they’ve successfully helped to plant 10,000 climate resilient trees in the UK by working in collaboration with GreenTheUK and the Royal Forestry Society.
Most of this planting has naturally occurred in areas that are closely aligned with the network operator’s full fibre broadband rollout – including 6,000 trees in North Yorkshire and a further 500 in West Yorkshire. The effort was also designed to ensure that the right trees are planted in the right places for the right reasons, using native and naturalised species that boost biodiversity and resilience.
NOTE: Quickline is being fulled by around £300m of public subsidy across four Project Gigabit contracts (here, here and here), plus c.£225m in term loans and debt guarantees from the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) and a £25m term loan from NatWest.
The provider is also being backed by a private investment of £500m from Northleaf Capital Partners and aims to cover 200,000 premises with FTTP by the end of 2025 (up from 65,000 premises in Nov 2023).
Nick Young, Quickline’s Head of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality, said:
“As a rural broadband provider, we work in some of the UK’s most beautiful and ecologically rich landscapes. We see first-hand the importance of a thriving natural environment. Partnering with GreenTheUK and the Royal Forestry Society is a meaningful way for us to give back to those landscapes and invest in long-term sustainability where it matters most.”
New Study Examines UK Full Fibre Broadband Take-up by Age of Network | ISPreview UK
Strategic consultancy firm Eight Advisory has today published the third edition of their Takeup Tracker, which examines the rise in take-up across the UK’s many alternative full fibre (FTTP) broadband networks (altnets) and compares it with that of Openreach (BT). This edition also takes a deeper dive into take-up by age of network – a key factor in gauging progress.
At present nearly 88% of UK premises can now access a gigabit-capable broadband network or 78% when only looking at Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology (here). Ofcom separately predicts the UK will achieve gigabit coverage of between 97-98% and full fibre coverage of between 95-96% by May 2027 (here).
NOTE: The government’s Project Gigabit currently aims for 99% of UK premises to be reached by gigabit-capable broadband by 2032.
Network coverage is a key measure when assessing progress, but in a market under so much economic strain (e.g. rising build costs and high interest rates) – and filled with so many competitive altnets (i.e. in the case of overbuild this means splitting customers between several competing networks) – it’s also very important to understand the impact of take-up by customers (residential homes, businesses etc.).
We know from our own experience in this market that a number of factors can impact take-up, such as the higher prices for faster services, the amount of local competition, as well as a lack of general awareness (i.e. locals don’t always know that the faster service exists) or interest in the new connectivity (not everybody may feel a need to get something better). The fear of switching to a different ISP may also obstruct some services, and so can long contract terms with existing packages (customers can’t switch immediately).
In addition, it’s important to remember that take-up – usually expressed as a percentage of customers connected within the network area – is somewhat of a dynamically scaled measurement, which is often suppressed while operators are in their rapid roll-out phase (i.e. covering new premises at a faster rate than customers can take it up). But the figure tends to mature faster as the build phase slows in favour of greater commercialisation, which is a process that a lot of altnets are currently going through.
Results of the take-up study
Overall, altnet penetration has slowly increased over the 6 months since the last report, which means that altnet penetration at aggregate level is now estimated to be 20% in March 2025 (up 3% from the 17% the study reported in September 2024). In the same timeframe, Openreach’s FTTP take-up rose to 36% (up 1% since Sept 2024), which is despite the operator adopting an accelerated rate of build.
At a total retail market share level, altnets are also continuing to make incremental gains in capturing market share from the five largest broadband ISPs, now accounting for around 13.4% of retail connections. This compares with BT (inc. EE and Plusnet) on 30.5%, Virgin Media (O2) on 19.7%, Sky Broadband on 20%, TalkTalk on 10.8% and Vodafone with 5.6%.
However, one catch above is that some providers – like TalkTalk and Vodafone, also work with altnets (i.e. we don’t know precisely how many of their customers come from those, although with TalkTalk it’s believed to be c.150k from just CityFibre). Openreach dominates many of the biggest providers (except VMO2), but they also suffered annualised broadband line losses to the year ending March of 828,000 (mostly from their non-FTTP network areas).
By comparison, the new study estimates that altnets cumulatively added 760k net adds over the same period as Openreach lost 828k. Virgin Media also suffered a smaller decline.
The picture is thus somewhat mixed, depending upon the aforementioned issues, such as current rate of build, competition and scale etc. For example, Netomnia and Openreach are both still deploying at a fair old rate of knots, so we don’t expect to see dramatic changes in their take-up rate.
On the other hand, G.Network’s build has been through a few stops and starts, yet their take-up remains among the weakest. We should caveat that toob’s take-up figures are also somewhat polluted by the fact that they now make significant use of CityFibre’s national network, which makes it hard to distinguish own-built take-up from that of their network partnership.
The new report also takes a much closer look at the issue of take-up vs age of network, which is relevant because take-up is something that grows organically over time (i.e. it often takes 2+ years after a network has been deployed in an area before you can get an idea of how it’s actually performing). Crucially, the data for altnets shows that more mature networks / cohorts (>24 months) are seeing penetration as high as 30-50%, while take-up within the first year tends to range from 9-19%.
The study also examines the impact of Openreach overbuild on altnet take-up, which finds that take-up is lower when the incumbent overbuilds, but it’s still strong for altnets and “continues to rise the longer the cohort has been in market“.
Openreach overbuild thus leads to an average loss in penetration of 6% for altnets. In relative terms, this means altnets achieve 75% of the penetration where they are overbuilt by Openreach’s FTTP, relative to the take-up achieved in all other competitive footprints where OR is not present.
Finally, in terms of first mover advantage (i.e. the benefit of being the first to build FTTP in a location), this was found to deliver an incremental penetration improvement of 2 percentage points relative to areas where Openreach is first to market.
Clearly, given enough time and the right locations, many (but not all) altnets can attract plenty of interest and punch above their weight, which will get them closer to the take-up levels needed for positive EBITDA and eventual profitability (quite a few have already entered positive EBITDA territory, which is a good start). But consolidation will still be needed if many are to survive longer term. The full report goes into a lot more detail.
The LSBUD (Line Search Before You Dig) organisation, which offers an online asset search facility to UK civil engineering firms for underground pipes and cables, has conducted an industry-wide survey to identify the greatest concerns which remain around the Government’s new digital UK map of underground pipes and cables (broadband, water etc.), ahead of its integration.
Just to recap. The new National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) – developed alongside Ordnance Survey (OS) and Atkins – has recently been placed on a statutory footing with the passage into law of the Data Use and Access Act 2025 (here). This reflects a digital UK map of underground pipes and cables that is partly designed to help reduce accidental damage.
NOTE: The NUAR is focused on England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has already built a similar system via the Scottish Community Apparatus Data Vault (SCADV).
However, the ISPA and other organisations have previously expressed concern about putting the NUAR on a statutory footing before it’s fully ready for prime time, which is relevant considering that it’s still in somewhat of a beta stage and slowly advancing beyond the level of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Nevertheless, more than 600 asset owners will now be required to share their data with NUAR.
The new survey indicates that universal access is still a top concern. When asked about the level of access needed, 87% of the “safe digging community” agreed that everybody taking on a digging project, from large-scale construction to digging in a garden, should have access to NUAR’s data – something which is currently “being worked on but has had no confirmation from the Government up to this point“.
Mind you, we’re not sure about the state security implications of sharing out access to such a system so easily.
The Top Identified NUAR Concerns
1. Uncertainty over who can access NUAR
2. Potential of increased risk to assets and workers
3. Increased cost
LSBUD’s survey also found that 74% agree it should be integrated alongside existing safe digging services to better reduce risk and improve overall safety, rather than acting as a standalone system (obviously LSBUD has a vested interest in this outcome). In addition to this, 92% of “industry professionals” believe that a full formal consultation should take place before the service is rolled out to better understand the financial impact of the new service.
Richard Broome, MD of LSBUD, said:
“Over the past few months, there has been a lot of positive progress made between NUAR and the safe digging community. However, our latest research illustrates that there is still some fundamental concerns that are either yet to be addressed or currently being worked on.
National Safe Digging Week provides an excellent opportunity for the community to voice their most burning questions about its integration and impact on safety, and it is clear there is still more work to be done. We encourage all members of the safe digging community to actively engage with the Government as it looks to make NUAR a long-lasting service to ensure the safest possible outcome is achieved for all.”
The catch is that today’s survey doesn’t reveal any details about its methodology or sample size, which would have been useful to know.
Rural UK Community FTTP Broadband Project B4RN Releases Free Book | ISPreview UK
A new book has popped up for free online that charts the fascinating history and progress of rural broadband ISP B4RN (Broadband for the Rural North), which is a community benefit society that has so far built their 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to cover 30,000 premises across England (c.15,000 customers).
Just to recap. B4RN is a registered Community Benefit Society (i.e. they can’t be bought by a commercial operator – so consolidation is not an option – and profits go back into the community) that has already expanded their full fibre network to cover various remote rural parts of Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Northumberland, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Yorkshire, Northumberland and County Durham – often with the direct help of local volunteers.
NOTE: Customers pay from £33 a month for 1Gbps (plus a £60 setup fee payable over 12-months) or £150 for 10Gbps (£360 setup). A 1Gbps £15 social tariff also exists.
The project started out all the way back in 2012 and was one of the UK’s very first alternative networks (altnets) to build full fibre infrastructure, which has had quite a long, successful and fascinating history in the industry. The book about all this – ‘B4RN – The Early Years‘ – is 806 pages long and 1.1GB (GigaBytes) in size to download – giving ‘War and Peace’ a run for its money, mostly due to the heavy use of pictures from their various projects as useful illustrations.
As the book’s co-editor, Kira Allmann (Ph.D.), explains: “This book has been written by B4RN community members. It’s a compilation of written stories, oral histories, photographs, and links. It’s a non-linear, branching tale of key people, places, milestones, and memories, intertwining and intersecting like the roots of a tree.”
Overall, it looks like quite an interesting read, especially for anybody interested in this field and the challenges of rural broadband provision. Granted, this may all be a bit too niche for some people, but then so too is B4RN. The book itself hasn’t yet officially been released (i.e. it might still get a few tweaks), but you can read it today at the public link above.
KCOM Publish Prices for Broadband Infrastructure Sharing in Hull UK | ISPreview UK
Hull-based network operator KCOM, which has already deployed their own Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across a big chunk of East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, has today quietly published their first terms and pricing details for a new PIA solution. The product allows rivals to run new fibre via the operator’s existing cable ducts and poles.
At present, the Macquarie-backed KCOM is still deemed by Ofcom to hold Significant Market Power (SMP) in the Hull area only and its full fibre (FTTP) lines have already covered virtually all local homes and businesses. The operator has since also expanded their fibre into other parts of East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (England) – covering a total of 305,000 premises.
NOTE: Just to be clear, KCOM’s SMP designation is only applicable within Hull’s c.200,000 premises, thus the operator’s network expansion outside that area is not subject to regulation (Openreach’s PIA is usually also available outside Hull).
In an ideal world, KCOM’s local rivals (MS3, Connexin etc.) would also love to run at least some of their own fibre cables via the incumbents existing cable ducts and poles. Not only would this reduce their civil engineering costs and speed up deployments, but it would also help to avoid some of the anti-pole protests that have impacted a few recent deployments.
However, while this approach works well with Openreach’s regulated Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product across other parts of the UK, it’s long been a different story with KCOM. The law does require KCOM to fairly share access to their existing infrastructure in Hull (ATI Regulations). But rival operators expecting the same level of access, flexibility and affordability as the regulated PIA solution from Openreach have often run into problems with KCOM’s confidential commercial terms, which up until recently were allegedly placing an unfeasibly high price on access.
The situation meant that KCOM’s rivals often ended up having to build lots of new infrastructure, such as poles, which, as above – tended to irritate local communities because quite a lot of the area had previously only ever had underground cables. But between 2023 and 2024 this became somewhat of a political issue (here, here and here), which ultimately ended up placing greater pressure on KCOM to produce a PIA-alike solution.
Sharing infrastructure
In response, KCOM eventually reached an agreement with Connexin and MS3 to co-develop a new pathway to accessing their existing ducts in order to run new fibre (i.e. limiting the need for new poles). Initial trials of this are still understood to be ongoing (here and here) and the project is still very much in its infancy.
The good news today is that KCOM appears to have released the first detailed product descriptions, T&Cs and even pricing details of their own KPIA product into the public domain (here). Interestingly, the first PIA Reference Offer (PDF) document for this is currently dated for the 1st August 2025 (pricing here), which suggests that it may still be in draft form ahead of a full launch and is thus likely still subject to change.
A spokesperson for MS3 told ISPreview:
“Eight years since MS3 first asked to share KCOM infrastructure using the ATI process, we are pleased that finally KCOM has launched a sharing product and for the first time published an associated price list.
Despite being the only active other party in the Joint Working Group helping to shape this framework, today is the first time we have seen this full price list and it will take us some time to understand whether the product and prices are fair and comparable to other providers, such as Openreach, where MS3 has successfully deployed tens of thousands of homes in towns such as Scunthorpe and Grimsby using existing poles and ducts.
We hope that the introduction of this Reference Offer will not slow down our current sharing trial with KCOM, where another 3,000 homes are due to have choice of network provider for the first time in the coming weeks.”
As we’ve said before, the first iteration of the KCOM-PIA product is still likely to reflect quite a manual process (akin to Openreach’s early approach from about a decade ago) and some of its costs, such as for Network Adjustments, look as if they could work out to be a fair bit more expensive. But it’s hard to judge this properly today and we’ll need to take a deeper dive into the details and fine print.
The other catch in all this is that it comes at a time when Connexin is in the process of being acquired by CityFibre (i.e. future expansion across Hull are uncertain and had already been on somewhat of a pause). At the same time, MS3, which is currently dealing with wider financial / market pressures (like many altnets), has reduced its build in order to focus on greater commercialisation of what they’ve already built (in Hull specifically they’ve already covered around 130k premises RFS).
Ofcom are also preparing a separate Telecoms Access Market Review 2026 (TAR) specifically for the Hull area, which will no doubt take a closer look at KCOM’s solution. But the first proposals under that won’t be published for quite a few months. Nevertheless, the above move by KCOM does represent progress, even if it is the sort of development that would have had more impact 2-3 years ago and is now arriving a bit late to the party.
New blueprints put Level 4 autonomous networks within reach | Total Telecom
Building autonomous networks was one of the hottest topics at this year’s DTW conference in Copenhagen, with operators increasingly advancing towards Level 4
Network operators have long aspired to build ‘zero touch’ networks: communication systems that are fully autonomous, adapting to users’ needs in real-time without the need for any manual human intervention. But while this final step remains out of reach – at least for now – major progress is being already made by the industry in automating their networks, unlocking major efficiencies and cost savings.
What exactly do we mean when we talk about the term ‘autonomous networks’? TM Forum provides a useful framework to answer this question, with their Autonomous Network Level (ANL) Model helping operators to assess their current level of network autonomy. These Levels range from 1 to 5; Level 1 represents no autonomy at all, while Level 5 denotes a fully autonomous, self-driving network, with no human intervention at all.
With the integration new technologies, particularly the use of AI agents and predictive AI, CSPs are rapidly climbing through the ANLs, with many on the brink of achieving ANL4. This means their networks are highly autonomous across various domains, with the system making automated decisions based on predictive analysis and AI modelling, with only minimal human oversight.
Achieving the crucial step to ANL4 was the focus on a masterclass on the final day of DTW called ‘ANL4 Solution Packages Blueprint: From Vison to Deployment’, explaining why ANL4 is so valuable and how to implement existing solution packages.
ANL4 and the core network
The first part of telco networks to benefit from the ANL4 transformation will be the core. It is here that we find several well-defined use-cases that are becoming increasingly viable with the increase integration of AI into telco networks.
Chief among these use cases is the integration of AI agents. These agents have enormous potential across the telecoms industry, from advanced customer-facing chatbots to virtual assistants for telecoms engineers. But perhaps the most impactful role of AI agents will take place within the network itself, helping to automate the fault demarcation process.
Traditionally, fault demarcation has required manual analysis across multiple network layers and domains to discover and correct the root cause of network issue. AI agents can automate a large part of this process, using machine learning models to correlate alarms, analyse logs, and isolate the source of a fault in real time. This allows operators to respond faster and reduce mean time to repair and service disruption.
However, letting AI agents loose in the core network must be done with great caution. The core is an environment where a single automation misstep could impact thousands or potentially millions of customers, hence reliability is paramount. Specialised, telecoms-specific AI models will be required to meet these demands, and strict guardrails will be needed before the highest levels of automation can be reached.
In addition to helping operators react to network faults more efficiently, AI is also helping them to anticipate and avoid them altogether. Predictive AI is increasingly being applied to day-to-day operations and maintenance (O&M) within the network, particularly for monitoring and managing risks like signalling storms. By combining this technology with a digital twin of the network, capable of simulating a myriad of scenarios, operators can quickly visualise and assess their network’s vulnerabilities.
In short, the core’s journey to ANL4 will see it become increasingly predictive and preventative when it comes to maintenance, and self-healing when faults do occur.
ANL4 in action in Asia
Many of the above use cases are already being seen in action in some of the most advanced markets in the world. At the masterclass at DTW, two operators – Telkomsel and China Mobile–were singled out by TM Forum as being ‘outstanding’ in this regard. Having undertaken a thorough evaluation of their autonomous core network high stability evaluation, the two companies received their formal certification at the event and were invited to share key success stories.
Telkomsel receives the company’s ANL CSP certificatate from TM Forum’s Autonomous Networks Program Director, Olta Vangieli
China Mobile receives the company’s ANL CSP certificatate from TM Forum’s Autonomous Networks Program Director, Olta Vangieli
China Mobile has notably already achieved operational ANL4 in eight key core use cases, including private network provisioning, complaint resolution, change monitoring. The company is also nearing ANL4 across multiple additional domains, including IP backhaul, RAN fault management, core complaint handling, and core fault management. Combined, this work has reportedly achieved an 80% reduction in major network faults and saved more than 7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.
Indonesia’s Telkomsel has also made great strides, sharpening its focus on core network stability and intelligent operations. Their progress includes a significant shift in their network design, using AI to help support network architecture design. This has made the network significantly more flexible, building in redundancy by design and allowing specific elements to be bypassed for quick service recovery. Combined with predictive AI that can anticipate and negate risks to the network, Telkomsel is well on its way to achieving zero outages in its core network.
Collaboration and building solution packages
Naturally, building more intelligent telecoms network is a hugely complicated task. The sharing of best practice across the industry will be a key factor in success and is something that the TM Forum and its partners have sought to facilitate over the past 6 years. To this end, various solution packages have been co-developed by industry to promote best practices for operators on this journey.
At the masterclass, for example, Huawei’s Michael Wang shared the ANL4 high-value scenario solution package, featuring end-to-end guidance on core network fault management. From designing intelligent O&M, to network optimisation strategies and best-practice case studies, the solution package provides a valuable blueprint for operators to take begin their own network transformation projects.
TM Forum and its industry partners are currently calling for volunteers throughout the industry to further optimise the released standards and collaboratively define more high-value solution packages, three of which are planned to be released by the end of the year.
ANL4 is achievable today
With numerous positive examples already on display in various markets worldwide, and with increasingly sophisticated standardisation materials broadly available, operators’ path to ANL4 is becoming clearer. As momentum continues to build, it will not be long before the most advanced operators fully achieve this goal and begin setting their sights on the lofty goal of ANL5.
Charges also include violating US sanctions against Iran, money laundering, and obstruction of justice
This week, a US judge has dismissed a request from Huawei to dismiss the majority of charges brought against it by the US government.
The indictment, which dates to January 2019, accuses Huawei and various subsidiaries of numerous crimes, including defrauding and misleading financial institutions, stealing intellectual properties from US companies, and money laundering.
Perhaps most notable among these charges are those related to illegally bypassing US sanctions on Iran and North Korea by trading via its partner company, Skycom. The issue notably came to a head in December 2018, when Huawei’s CFO, Meng Wanzhou – also the daughter of the company’s founder, Ren Zhengfei – was detained in Canada after the United States Department of Justice requested her arrest for allegedly circumventing US sanctions. What followed was a protracted extradition battle that saw Meng remain under house arrest in Canada for three years.
Meng was finally released in 2021, having reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the US government. As part of the agreement, Meng admitted having misled HSBC about the company’s dealings with Iran, in violation of US sanctions.
In addition to these sanction-related counts, indictment alleges that, between 2000 and 2018, Huawei had practised the “deliberate and repeated misappropriation of intellectual property” from US companies.
Huawei has denied all wrongdoing and had sought to dismiss all but 3 of the 16-count indictment levied against it, arguing that the counts variously lacked evidence, violated due process, or simply did not state a legal offense.
In a 52-page document, however, US District Judge Ann Donnelly rejected the motion.
“Dismissal of charges is an extraordinary remedy reserved for extremely limited circumstances implicating fundamental rights,” read the document, with Donnelly noting that Huawei’s arguments were premature when “it is not yet clear what the defendant did”.
Based on a prearranged schedule, the trial is expected to take place May 6, 2026.
ISPreview has today published a 2025 summary of the top ten full fibre broadband (FTTP) operators with the largest share of the UK new build homes market, which is naturally a table that ends up being dominated by the market’s biggest network provider – Openreach (BT), followed by Hyperoptic and others.
At present, somewhere around 99% of new build homes are constructed with support for Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) infrastructure (here), which has been fairly steady for the past 2-3 years but is up from c.60% in 2017 (here). Just for comparison, around 78% of all UK premises (new builds and existing properties) can access such a network today (here) and that rises to nearly 88% for gigabit-capable broadband (FTTP + Hybrid Fibre Coax).
NOTE: The following list is purely focused on new build homes created with full fibre coverage – it does NOT include those only served by other technologies (FTTC, ADSL etc.). If any operators feel they’ve been missed out or are not showing a correct result, then please contact Andrew at Thinkbroadband to help fill in the blanks.
Suffice to say that a lot of progress has been made over the past few years, with England, Scotland and Wales now effectively all mandating gigabit-capable broadband for almost all new build homes (here, here and here), albeit with a few exceptions.
However, we also find it informative to do an annual check to see which full fibre operators are having the most impact on new build homes, which involves an analysis of information extracted from Thinkbroadband’s excellent coverage database.
Top UK Full Fibre Operators for New Build Homes (FY 2024/25)
The table below summarises both the largest ten operators for new build homes over the past year. Naturally, there are some caveats with this data. For example, some very recent builds may be too new to have been spotted. This is because it takes a lot of time and effort to identify everything, thus the latest data may sometimes lag a few months behind the reality.
In addition, some tiny or individual developments may also be missed (e.g. personal projects or property conversions) and the availability of new postcode data can cause a further lag. On top of that, Thinkbroadband only identifies live (Ready for Service) lines, which means completed builds where the service is available to take from an ISP.
NOTE: The data for 2025 is no longer aligned to past studies, so we haven’t included the previous year’s figures.
Top 10 Full Fibre Operators for UK New Build Homes (2025)
Openreach is naturally top of the table as the UK’s largest full fibre network operator, followed by Hyperoptic, with other players in the market – even major networks like Virgin Media – all sitting some way behind. But we note that Virgin’s influence was much more significant in the past, and yet they seem to be struggling to deliver on that in the newer era of full fibre connectivity.
We should also add that OFNL has recently signed a deal to acquire FibreNest, thus in the future these two will be combined, which may or may not increase their annual pace of deployment to new build homes.
Country Connect Target 20,000 Premises with FTTP Broadband by 2026 | ISPreview UK
The CEO (Mark Tomlinson) of small but profitable alternative network provider Country Connect has told Richard Tang, CEO of UK ISP Zen Internet, that they’re aiming to extend their full fibre (FTTP) broadband network to reach 20,000 premises by the end of 2026 (currently at c.10k RFS) and have plans to go wholesale. But if you want to buy the network, £10m will do it.
The provider, which has previously described itself as being an unashamedly “micro-entity altnet”, originally started its network build in the Welsh village of Ponthir and town of Caerleon. Shortly after that they began expanding into Usk, Tidenham + Stroat (border villages in Gloucestershire), Penywaun, Llancayo (site of their HQ) and Aberdare. Since then, they’ve also expanded into the Welsh Valleys of Penywaun, Hiruwaun, Trenant, plus the village of Bordon in Hampshire (England).
NOTE: The vertically integrated altnet and ISP employs just 9 people and also works with two contractors. The provider is home to somewhere around 3,000 customers (i.e. 34% take-up).
According to Mark, a seasoned engineer and software developer who started the business because he was tired of having slow ADSL broadband at home, Country Connect is unique in the current altnet market in that their build has been entirely funded by reinvesting profits from other areas of the business (i.e. as well as FTTP, they also deliver managed services, enterprise connectivity and other things).
The downside of this organic growth model is that “ultimately it’s not a scalable model” (hence only 10k premises passed), said Mark, “but it’s working for us“. The upside is that you don’t have any of the usual funding traps that come from having external shareholders with big debt and equity injections, which means that Country Connect is already profitable and “has been for a long time” (company accounts).
Build costs, take-up and overbuild
Mark states that Country Connect’s model, while smaller-scale, should still be sustainable for the “long term“, and they only build in areas where it’s possible to run their fibre via Openreach’s existing cable ducts and poles (PIA). As a result of this and other things, such as buying kit from auctions and mostly using in-house engineers, their average build cost is said to be £180 – one of the lowest in the industry.
The figure actually ranges from £120 – £130 and goes up to £210 when you include customer connections (i.e. final drop with ONT installs etc.). But we dare say that Grain, and a couple of other altnets, might also claim to have the lowest FTTP build costs too.
Elsewhere, Mark noted that they had experienced some significant fibre overbuild by nexfibre (Virgin Media) in around 35% to 40% of their patch, but interestingly this actually had a positive impact on take-up. The reason is that VM/nexfibre “caused a lot of frustration within the community with the way they did it with contractors” and as a consequence Country Connect “actually saw orders continue to go up“. The provider did initially lose a couple of customers to Virgin Media, but they ended up coming back later.
Prices and wholesale
Currently, customers of the service tend to pay from £30 per month for a 300Mbps (symmetric) fixed price package with both free installation and a free Wi-Fi 6 router, which rises to £40 for their top 900Mbps service. The ISP also offers a “social tariff” for those on benefits, which gives you symmetric speeds of 50Mbps on a 6-month term for just £15 per month.
Interestingly, despite already doing some fairly competitive pricing, Mark says they’re “not the cheapest“, but adds that they’re also “not looking to race to the bottom like some providers are and I do think that broadband prices will mature over the next few years, because the altnets like us are using price as a way to onboard customers at the moment.” But that won’t last forever.
Mark concluded by noting that they now had plans to both open their existing network up to wholesale access by rival ISPs and also to reach more of the UK by harnessing rival FTTP networks at wholesale. Country Connect is talking to a number of potential partners about doing this, including Zen Internet, the Fibre Cafe and others. But a clear launch date is not yet known.
Finally, Mark said that they hadn’t done much work with the Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) programme (either gigabit vouchers or subsidy contracts) as they found the organisation “really challenging” to deal with (a not uncommon gripe from altnets). We’re “just doing our own thing“, said Mark, before joking – in a half-serious way – that if somebody like CityFibre or Netomnia wanted to buy them for £10m then “I’d probably take it.” Check out the full interview below.
Sparkle expands its reach in the US with a PoP in San Diego | Total Telecom
Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, announces the expansion of its network in the United States with the opening of a Point of Presence (PoP) in San Diego, California. With this PoP, Sparkle adds a new strategic infrastructure alongside its existing nodes in McAllen, El Paso, Dallas (US) and Queretaro (Mexico), ensuring maximum diversification and redundancy for local customers.
Located at MDC’s carrier-neutral data center, the PoP is fully integrated with Sparkle’s Tier-1 global IP backbone Seabone which boasts extensive coverage in the Americas with 52 points of presence across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela. In addition, thanks to its terrestrial and submarine networks which includes four “digital highways” – Curie in the Pacific and Monet, Seabras-1 and soon Manta in the Atlantic – Sparkle offers five diversified routes for connectivity from South to North America ensuring complete redundancy and a top-quality data experience.
The new node allows network operators, ISPs, OTTs, content delivery networks, and content and application providers to benefit from reliable, low-latency IP transit services with throughput in the range of Terabits per second. Additionally, customers have access to a comprehensive suite of IP solutions, including DDoS Protection, which safeguards networks against cyberattacks, and Virtual NAP, providing virtual access to leading Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) without the need for proprietary infrastructure development.
