Network operator and broadband ISP WightFibre, which is building a gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across the Isle of Wight – just off the South Coast of Hampshire (England), has today revealed that they’ve managed to grow their take-up to 21,000 customers (30% market share).
The operator has already spent over £80m (Dec 2023) – rising to £110m by 2030 – to cover around 80% of the island (70,000 premises) with their new full fibre network (i.e. the ‘Gigabit Island‘ project), which should increase to 86% (74k) of the island by the end of 2024, then 90% by the end of 2025 and 98% by 2027 (c.82,000 premises).
The Government’s (Building Digital UK) Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) has also helped to fuel some of their progress in the hardest to reach areas, with over £3.1m in vouchers claimed to date. We should add that WightFibre’s network is roughly 85% built in their own underground ducting, with less than 15% using Openreach’s existing cable ducts and poles (PIA).
John Irvine, CEO of WightFibre, said:
“Our growing customer base and unwavering loyalty speak volumes. We’re not just a provider, we’re rapidly becoming woven into the very fabric of the Isle of Wight. WightFibre’s secret sauce? Localness. It’s what sets us apart, allowing us to deliver exceptional service at competitive prices.”
Andy Matthews, Head of Greenfield at Infracapital, said:
“As WightFibre nears its completion on the Island, we are very pleased with the progress. This is a real success story and the connectivity will bring social inclusion, jobs and many wider benefits to its communities”.
The news represents good progress, even if it is taking a bit longer than originally expected to build, and we’d expect their market share to increase in the future. The main challenge to this will be coming from Openreach (BT), which has already invested £4.5m to cover 15,000 premises across the Isle of Wight (here) and is expected to reach around 45,000 premises by 2026.
Otherwise, WightFibre’s packages start at £28.95 per month for a 150Mbps (symmetric) package, rising to £41.00 for 900Mbps. A social tariff of £19.95 for 100Mbps is available to customers in receipt of means tested benefits, and speeds of 10Gbps are available to business customers.