Author: Joe Brewer

FullFibre, a wholesale full fibre network provider along with its in-house ISP retail company, BeFibre, and Zzoomm, an established and rapidly growing full fibre business operator, have agreed to merge.

The enlarged group will have one of the largest full fibre footprints with some 600,000 properties ready for service and over 65,000 customers, and will also be well positioned for further M&A.

The merged business will be able to accelerate growth, enhance operational efficiency and lead on further M&A across the fragmented Altnet sector.

Matthew Hare, CEO of Zzoomm, will become Executive Chairman and James Warner, CEO of FullFibre, will be Group CEO.

The management teams from both companies have proven track records. They have the relevant experience, expertise and resources to lead and develop the enlarged group faster, providing outstanding broadband services to consumers, businesses and wholesale markets.

The merged entity combines two complementary networks and operating models. This will create significant opportunities to accelerate customer growth across a larger footprint, secure funding for new builds and future mergers, and achieve greater operational and financial efficiencies through economies of scale.

Additionally, the partnership will enhance wholesale services for internet service providers (ISPs), unlocking valuable new revenue streams.

The merger is subject to final documentation execution and regulatory approval, expected early in 2025.

Matthew Hare, CEO of Zzoomm, commented: “With our clear focus on serving happy customers with brilliant broadband, Zzoomm has delivered for a number of years industry leading organic growth across its network.

“We have consistently stated our strategy is to grow organically and by M&A in this fragmented market.

“An enlarged business with the operational and financial infrastructure, benefitting from the economies of scale, as well as a management team with an exceptional track record, we will have an excellent platform to combine with other Altnets in the near future as well as driving organic growth faster.”

James Warner, CEO of FullFibre, commented: “This merger represents another significant step in our journey. With a shared commitment to delivering transformational full fibre connectivity with exceptional customer experience, this deal strengthens our collective ability to grow even faster and seize new market opportunities.

“For FullFibre, this is our second merger and another milestone in our mission to create a 21st-century digital backbone for the nation. Following our recent successful integration with Digital Infrastructure and BeFibre, this next merger further accelerates our ambitions to lead the market and provide unmatched connectivity to homes, businesses, and wholesale partners alike.”

FullFibre Announces Strategic Partnership with IPRiver, Expanding Wholesale B2B Connectivity Options

FullFibre, a leading provider of fibre-optic infrastructure, is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with IPRiver, a renowned wholesale aggregator. This collaboration will significantly expand the connectivity options available to businesses across 170 towns and nine counties served by the FullFibre network.

Matt Baker, Head of Wholesale at FullFibre, expressed enthusiasm about the new partnership, stating, “Onboarding with IPRiver means that businesses in our network can now benefit from an even wider selection of B2B providers. This partnership underscores our commitment to offering unparalleled choice and flexibility to our customers.”

IPRiver, known for its robust network of over 150 channel partners, is equally excited about the partnership. Jonathan Starr, Account Director at IPRiver, commented, “This is fantastic news for us and our channel partners. By joining forces with FullFibre, we can now offer symmetrical FTTP services at speeds of 150 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 1 Gbps across 380,000 premises in the UK. Whether a business is SOHO, SME, Enterprise, or needs to link multiple sites via MPLS, they can now easily access high-speed FTTP through one of our trusted partners.”

This partnership marks a significant milestone in FullFibre’s mission to provide comprehensive, high-speed fibre-optic solutions to businesses of all sizes, enhancing digital connectivity and supporting economic growth across the UK.

About FullFibre
FullFibre is a leading provider of fibre-optic infrastructure, dedicated to delivering high-speed internet access to businesses and communities across the UK. With a commitment to quality, reliability, and customer choice, FullFibre continues to expand its network to meet the growing demands of the digital age.

About IPRiver
IPRiver is a wholesale aggregator with a network of over 150 channel partners, offering a range of connectivity solutions to businesses across the UK. IPRiver is committed to providing high-quality, reliable services that meet the diverse needs of modern businesses, from small offices to large enterprises.

Media Contact:
Matt Baker
Head of Wholesale
matt.baker@fullfibre.co
07563 390929

FullFibre Ltd secures over £30 million in Project Gigabit contracts to bring lightning-fast broadband to rural West Herefordshire and Northern Derbyshire

Lightning-fast broadband will be delivered to thousands of homes and businesses in West Herefordshire, Forest of Dean and parts of the Peak District in rural Northern Derbyshire after two new contracts were awarded to wholesale network provider FullFibre Ltd, as part of the government’s Project Gigabit rollout.

Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion mission to upgrade digital connectivity in hard-to-reach areas. Under the two contracts, lightning-fast broadband infrastructure will be rolled out to over 12,000 rural homes and businesses across parts of the Peak District in Northern Derbyshire, West Herefordshire and the Forest of Dean.

These contracts enable the business to also reach a further 18,000 deep rural properties, which would under normal circumstances be considered too expensive, as part of the overall plans for the regions. The contracts will see FullFibre Ltd partner with the UK government in both areas, with initial surveying beginning on 1st April 2024.

The expansion of gigabit-capable infrastructure to 247 towns and villages across these localities will specifically target remote, rural, and other hard-to-reach premises which, were it not for government intervention, would be otherwise overlooked by the industry’s gigabit rollout.

Under the terms of the contracts, FullFibre Ltd will provide access to the latest broadband technology and fibre to the premises (FTTP), boosting the economy in previously underserved communities. This will empower them to effectively operate their businesses online or encourage remote work, as well as bring fast and reliable connections for day-to-day activities such as streaming and gaming.

Furthermore, by operating a wholesale business model across an open network, with partnerships with varying internet service providers (ISPs), customers will have increased freedom of choice when it comes to their provider, allowing for more competitive pricing and reducing the need for high-cost, long-term contracts.

James Warner, interim CEO at FullFibre, commented: “Building network in a rural setting has always been a part of FullFibre’s DNA. We now have the opportunity to push this even further by working in partnership with the government, to bring FullFibre’s connectivity to thousands of families and businesses across West Herefordshire and the Peak District in the most difficult to reach parts of these regions.

“Having a commercially built network closing in on 400,000 premises ready for service in and around these areas, these contracts represent a great opportunity to ensure no premises are left behind in our collective aim as an industry to fibre every home and business in the country.”

Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said: “This latest cash injection from Project Gigabit will bring lightning-fast gigabit connections to hard-to-reach areas in parts of the Peak District, the Forest of Dean and Herefordshire.
“Our £5 billion investment isn’t just about streaming and gaming—it’s about empowering businesses of all sizes. By supercharging rural communities, we’re creating an attractive environment for investment and job creation.”

FullFibre has won the coveted Best Channel Support at this year’s ISPA Awards, recognising the outstanding support it provides to its ISP partners.

Held at the Old War Offices (OWO) in London, the ISPA Awards is an industry-focused event that is designed to recognise the best companies in the broadband, hosting, cloud and VoIP services industries.

The ‘Best Channel Support’ award celebrates the network builder who provides the most comprehensive and impactful channel support to ISPs using their FTTP infrastructure; from the initial onboarding process right the way through to the day-to-day support.

Matt Baker, Head of Wholesale at FullFibre, comments, “FullFibre’s approach is designed to deliver value for our partners, and to support customer service excellence, which is why we’re so delighted that this has been clearly recognised in this award win. We work hard to understand our partner’s propositions and growth objectives, and to support them in their go-to-market strategies through tactical campaign activity.

“We look forward to continuing to deliver this for all of our partners, on our new extensive footprint, in 2024”.

So far this year, FullFibre has also won awards for ‘Best Marketing Team’ at Channel Champions, ‘Best Fibre Marketing Campaign’ and were Highly Commended for ‘Best Wholesale Fibre Provider’ at the UK fibre Awards.

 

FullFibre and Digital Infrastructure consolidate to form a leading alternative network in the UK fibre market.

Basalt Infrastructure Partners LLP (Basalt) announces Basalt Infrastructure Partners Fund III (a fund advised by Basalt) is bringing FullFibre and Digital Infrastructure together in a move that will create a single wholesale platform and a bigger, more ambitious entity in the UK fibre market.

Basalt today announces the merger of its two UK fibre to the premises network operators, Digital Infrastructure and FullFibre.

The merger happens as a pro-active move in the competitive UK fibre market, bringing greater scale and combining routes to market for these established fibre assets.

The combined business, to be led by CEO Oliver Helm, will integrate Digital Infrastructure’s and FullFibre’s existing footprint and continue the build out in more rural regions. It will create a highly complementary network and take advantage of FullFibre’s wholesale-first strategy.

The merger will also create one of the larger offerings by UK altnets, with a network accessible by over 250,000 homes and businesses Ready for Service (RFS) today, with an ambition to deliver 1 million live premises through a wholesale business model.

The internet service provider (ISP) of Digital Infrastructure, BeFibre, which today provides retail services via both the FullFibre and Digital Infrastructure networks, will remain part of the group as a customer of the enhanced wholesale platform.

Headline Numbers:

– Over 250,000 RFS premises available today, with over 300,000 to be available by the end of the year.
– A combined build rate of up to 40,000 new RFS per month.
– 67 towns actively in build or nearing completion.

Commenting on the merger, Wil Jones, Partner at Basalt, said, “The UK fibre sector is maturing and, through this merger, we will create a business with substantial scale, under a single wholesale platform. This will ensure long-term success and strengthen our position in the market to accelerate the plans of both businesses”.

“This consolidation places us well to take advantage of opportunities in the UK fibre market and continue our investment in network rollout across the UK, enhancing the platform’s ability to deliver increasingly essential fibre infrastructure in historically under-served areas.”

Oliver Helm, CEO at FullFibre, also comments, “Both Digital Infrastructure and FullFibre have built exceptionally skilled teams, with complementary capabilities. Together, we will accelerate the pace at which we roll out and connect customers to our fibre network. The merged organisation will sit in the top tier of well-established, alternative networks. With this substantive scale, we will continue our single-minded focus on delivering exceptional network infrastructure to our ISPs, and their customers and communities in turn”.

FullFibre announced as Best Vendor Marketing Team at this year’s Channel Champions Awards.

Held at Regents Park in London, Channel Champions is an industry-focused awards event that is designed to recognise the full range of teams who contribute to building winning channel organisations.

The Vendor Marketing Team award recognises those businesses demonstrating a consistent record of achievement in developing and protecting their brand, generating leads, and creating a strong client and market profile.

FullFibre’s marketing approach is wholly unique. Using its Fibre Heroes marketing campaign, which creates a distinctive brand, its and highly effective marketing team generates original, engaging and community focused campaigns that make a real difference.

Zoe Taylor, Chief People Officer at FullFibre, comments on the win, “This is an excellent result and reflects the hard work that we do right across the business. As a wholesale only business, a strong marketing offering supports the whole company effort in delivering quality full fibre services for our ISPs to sell their services on”.

So far this year, FullFibre has also won awards for ‘Best Fibre Marketing Campaign’ and were Highly Commended for ‘Best Wholesale Fibre Provider’ at the UK fibre Awards.

FullFibre onboards new partner Direct Save and expands its offering to end-users with more competitive broadband and home phone packages.

Direct Save are a fully UK-based internet service provider. Their aim is to help everyone save money on their broadband and home phone packages, and they offer competitive deals to end-users with this in mind, supported by their award-winning customer support team.

Matt Holliman, Operations Manager at Direct Save, comments on the new partnership, “We’re excited to work with Fibre Heroes, a leading provider of high-speed fibre-optic broadband. This collaboration allows us to combine our expertise in affordable and customer-focused broadband and phone services with a state-of-the-art fibre network, and offer our customers a reliable and lightning-fast internet connection.

“Together, we are committed to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that everyone has access to the benefits of full fibre connectivity”.

Commenting on the new partnership, Head of Wholesale at FullFibre, Matt Baker, said “We’re really pleased that Direct Save are offering services on our network. This means we can offer even more choice to residents and businesses across the UK, which is crucial as we continue to build our network at pace”.

FullFibre is building full fibre networks in over 80 towns across 11 counties, fulfilling their goal of bringing ultrafast broadband to the currently underserved areas of the UK.

FullFibre launches a brand new Community Investment Fund to promote digital connectivity in its build towns.

The Community Investment Fund will be open to both local charities and organisations to request funding for projects that enhance the prosperity and growth of their hometown. The scope of the Fund is broad, and applicants are encouraged to use their imagination about the types of projects that could be funded.

This could be a significant investment tool for local communities, and to access funding, potential recipients can apply here, providing details of the activity, the scope to support local people and the location of their project.

The first project to be approved is the Badsey & Aldington Community Computer Club, which supports people in the Badsey and wider Evesham area to learn how to use the internet. The money raised from FullFibre’s Community Investment Fund will enable the club to buy new equipment and increase the support they can provide to the local community.

Councillor Alan Tutton comments, “It is brilliant to have access to a fund that is designed solely to support local communities, and we are so pleased to be the first project approved for funding. This grant will now enable us to reach out to more individuals around the Evesham area and support them in building up their skills and confidence when using the internet”.

Matt Smith, Head of Public Procurement and Engagement at FullFibre, comments, “Every project is individually assessed, and we will do our best to put the Community Investment Fund to good use: to make sure it benefits as many of the 80 plus towns that we are active in as we can”.

Oliver Helm, CEO at FullFibre also comments, “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Community Investment Fund. This is a real force for good and a brilliant opportunity for us to get more involved with the communities we are working in.

“Investing in building digital capacity and better connectivity, whatever that looks like, is a very exciting place to start a project. I’m genuinely looking forward to receiving our first set of applications, and we can’t wait to get started”.

For further information on the criteria and available funding for the Fibre Heroes Community Investment Fund, please visit: https://fibreheroes.co.uk/community-investment-fund/.

With the latest announcement from the UK Telecoms regulator, Ofcom, the end of confusing jargon in the fibre sector could be on the horizon. Albeit that consumers will have to wait until the autumn, at the earliest, for this to be enforced.

However, Ofcom has announced that it recognises the need for clarity around what fibre and full fibre really is. With legacy networks existing alongside full fibre, and with these often being a mix of both, consumers need to be given the right information about what it is they are buying.

Ofcom note, “Ofcom research has found that only 46% of customers who reported being on full-fibre broadband were living in areas where it is actually available.[1]” and, “In addition, more than a quarter (27%) of broadband customers lacked confidence in understanding the language and terminology used by providers.[2]”.

In summary, they are stating that internet providers use clear information, with industry references to the type of network consistent across the sector. So, no more fibre or full fibre unless a connection is actually FTTP. They state, “So, we are proposing new guidance to ensure providers give information on the underlying technology of the broadband connection using one or two consistent terms. Providers should also give a more detailed explanation of these terms in a format that is readily accessible to customers.”

This is great news for altnets, who have spent years campaigning for a clearer message in light of the larger incumbent providers using confusing terminology when selling connections to their customers. The hope is, that with a better understanding of what they are really getting, customers will become more mobile and more likely to make the switch to genuine full fibre.

James Warner, CSO at FullFibre comments on this latest announcement, “After years of suffering confusing jargon, customers can now breathe a sigh of relief that there will be some clarity when it comes to what they might actually be getting when they buy broadband. It has taken far too long for Ofcom to announce this, and it won’t come into force until the autumn, at the earliest, so a few more months of miss-leading the consumer left and then we can all be clear on what Fibre actually is.

“Hopefully this is the start of some clarity and consistency across the sector, which won’t just help the consumer, but start to de-mystify something that should be simple and for the benefit of all.”

Gigabit Networks is the latest Internet Service Provider (ISP) to join FullFibre’s partner programme to deliver ultrafast, reliable internet connections via their fibre network.

This new partnership is a further expansion to FullFibre’s ISP partner network, and follows previous new partner announcements for IDNet, Link Broadband, OctaPlus and Zybre. FullFibre has added five new ISP partners to its network since July 2022, all of which significantly increase its national offering to clients.

The wholesale network provider is currently working to connect its telecoms network to more than 80 market towns across 11 counties in the UK. This latest news follows a year of strong growth for the company, which has 34 of its 80 towns actively in build or connecting customers.

To support its progress, the business saw its headcount increase by 61% in 2022, as it gains significant momentum to continue to build at pace in many underserved areas in the UK.

Commenting on the new partnership, Head of Wholesale at FullFibre, Matt Baker, said “With our national network growing at pace, it is really reassuring to be partnering with Gigabit Networks, who are known for providing quality internet services.

“This addition to our rapidly growing partner programme means we can offer even more choice to residents and businesses across the Midlands, and supplements our overall offering in the towns we operate in”.

David Yates, co-founder of Gigabit Networks also comments, “Having recently been voted ‘Best Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the Midlands’, Gigabit Networks is on a mission to empower the region with faster internet connectivity. This new partnership with FullFibre will help us to reach this goal and reflects our shared values when it comes to transforming lives through high-quality digital services”.

FullFibre is a wholesale telecoms network provider, operating under the customer-facing brand Fibre Heroes, to connect the historically overlooked towns of the UK with an ultrafast broadband connection.

Gigabit Networks is the Gigabit Fibre Internet Champion for the Midlands. They aim to empower the Midlands with faster, future-proofed, ultra-reliable internet connectivity and unlock the possibilities that come with gigabit-capable fibre broadband.

FullFibre’s ISP partners now include BeFibre, Gigabit Networks, IDNet, Link Broadband, Merula, OctaPlus, Redline and Squirrel.

Wholesale network provider FullFibre further strengthens the rollout of its gigabit capable internet service by adding two new partners to its ISP network.

The latest expansion of FullFibre’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) network includes Link Broadband and OctaPlus, and follows previous announcements for IDNet and Zybre. These four new partners significantly increase FullFibre’s national offering.

The wholesale network provider is currently working to connect its telecoms network to more than 80 market towns across 11 counties in the UK. This latest news follows a year of strong growth for the company, which has 34 of its 80 towns actively in build or connecting customers.

To support its progress, the business has seen its headcount increase by 61% in 2022, as it gains significant momentum to continue to build at pace in many underserved areas in the UK.

James Warner, CSO at FullFibre comments, “We are really pleased to be working with these new partners, all of whom bring more choice to customers looking to connect to the FullFibre network. A big part of our ethos at FullFibre is to level the digital landscape across the UK.

“By securing a future-proof full fibre internet connection in our regions for decades to come, and doing so with a range of ISP partners to choose from, we are creating both more choice and opportunity in these overlooked areas”.

CEO of FullFibre, Oliver Helm, also comments, “Bringing on new partners is just one aspect of our growth this year, as we work to connect the hard-to-reach towns and villages typically over-looked by larger providers.  I am wholly proud of the work we have been doing here at FullFibre, and I am really looking forward to further successes in 2023 as we continue to build at pace”.

Link Broadband is an internet service provider offering full fibre residential broadband packages to homes and businesses, enabling their customers to harness the potential of the Internet.

OctaPlus is a nationwide internet service provider which aims to provide outstanding customer support, alongside industry leading prices and outstanding value for money, to its customers.

FullFibre’s ISP partners now include BeFibre, IDNet, Link Broadband, Merula, OctaPlus, Redline and Squirrel.

Wholesale network provider FullFibre is investing £6.6 million into building a full fibre network in Oswestry, with services now live.

The first homes and business in the town are now live, with plans to make 100% of the town live by mid 2023. This long-anticipated upgrade to the current network means that residents in Oswestry will have access to 100% fibre optic ultrafast internet, capable of download speeds that are 20 times faster than the national average.

Oswestry is one of a number of Shropshire towns being served by FullFibre, whose mission is to connect the underserved towns of the UK with superior broadband.

With a build cadence in excess of 10,000 properties per month, FullFibre is well on track to succeed in its ambition to build to half a million premises by 2025. The network provider has been working to build these challenging networks at pace, and with the latest new ISP partner announcement they are well positioned to scale up their offering going into 2023.

CSO of FullFibre, James Warner, comments, “We are really proud to be rolling out our wholesale only fibre network to Oswestry, where local homes and business can now access these ultrafast connections and be a leading UK town when it comes to digital services.

The internet is an integral part of daily life, and it has a real impact on how communities operate and the way we live our lives. Everyone has the right to the best internet connection possible, and we can’t wait to serve that through our partner community to local residents”.

North Shropshire MP, Helen Morgan, comments, “The pandemic demonstrated just how reliant we all are on good connectivity and as we move forward that dependence will only increase.  The fibre to the cabinet, copper to the home service which most people currently use is already not fit for purpose for many.  Seeing Oswestry at the front of the queue for ‘Fibre to the Premise’ is really exciting and it’s encouraging to know how many other communities in the constituency are also in line to benefit from the same services in the future.”

Local business and residents can access these new services through any broadband provider active in the area including BeFibre, IDNet, Link Broadband, Merula, OctaPlus, Redline and Squirrel.

To stay up to date with the progress of the build in Oswestry and the rest of the country, register your details on the Fibre Heroes website.

FullFibre is building in Matlock to deliver ultrafast broadband services that will go live in early 2023.

The wholesale network provider, FullFibre, is currently working to connect its wholesale telecoms network to more than 80 market towns across 11 counties in the UK. Building at pace in many underserved areas in the UK, it is providing a much-needed upgrade to the country’s digital infrastructure.

With services due to go live early next year (2023), Matlock residents will have access to ultrafast internet for the first time. The roll out will be in stages, with all residents and businesses across the town able to access the full fibre internet by the middle of 2023.

Commenting on the progress of the build in Matlock, Adele Whild, COO, said, “We are really pleased to be building our full fibre network here in Matlock, which continues at pace. This is part of an on-going roll-out, with the first homes due to go live early in 2023”.

Once live, local businesses and residents will be able to access these new services through one of FullFibre’s ISP partners BeFibre, IDNet, Link Broadband, Merula, OctaPlus, Redline and Squirrel.

Link Broadband is the latest Internet Service Provider (ISP) to join FullFibre’s partner programme to deliver ultrafast, reliable internet connections via the FullFibre network.

This latest partnership is a further expansion of FullFibre’s ISP partner network, and follows previous partner announcements this year for IDNet and Zybre.

FullFibre is a wholesale telecoms network provider, operating under the customer-facing brand Fibre Heroes, to connect the historically overlooked towns of the UK with an ultrafast broadband connection.

Link Broadband is an internet service provider offering full fibre residential broadband packages to homes and businesses, enabling their customers to harness the potential of the Internet.

Matt Baker, Head of Wholesale at FullFibre, comments on the partnership, “Link Broadband’s partnership with us is a great sign of the momentum here at FullFibre, Like us, Link Broadband want to make ultrafast internet easily accessible. We are really pleased to be part of their national network and to be able to offer Link Broadband’s attractive services to the residents of our build towns”.

Geo John Pandekkatt, CTO of Link broadband also comments, “We are extremely happy and grateful to have the opportunity to cooperate with FullFibre to provide complete fibre broadband to UK residential and businesses. Within the FullFibre network area, our network may offer connections to residential customers at 1 Gbps complete fibre and companies at 10 Gbps.”

FullFibre’s ISP partners now include BeFibre, IDNet, Link Broadband, Merula, Redline and Squirrel.

We have turned the two towns of  Evesham and Cheadle live by connecting them to our newly built full fibre network, offering gigabit speeds to thousands of premises across the two market towns.

In Cheadle, just over 50% of the town (over 5,000 properties) can now take service with the other 50% nearing completion over the next 6 months. Evesham, not to be outdone, is also live and available to over 5,000 residents today representing 1/3 of this town as complete with the rest being delivered by Q2 of next year.

As a wholesale only broadband network provider, we promote our ISP partners through our Fibre Heroes marketing campaign, targeting locations across market towns with typically underserved broadband infrastructure.

These two towns going live are two of many either now live or imminent to be so from the 30+ currently in a phase of build for the network operator.

Our CSO, James Warner said:

“We continue to build and send live areas like Evesham and Cheadle at pace to make sure our partner ISP’s can make the most of this new service offering to residents in these areas. We know some of the towns we build have had suggested interest from other providers, but actually getting customers connected in these towns is what counts and that’s where our partner ISP’s really benefit.”

This falls in line with our work across all of our build locations continuing to grow with active build now in 11 Counties.

We’re thrilled to be selected as finalists at the prestigious Comms National Awards 2022. We have been nominated for three awards including:

BEST Partner Programme (above £10M)

BEST Supplier Innovation Award

BEST Wholesale Network Provider

Over the last few years, we have worked hard to bring ultrafast internet to underserved locations, transform communities, and form strong partnerships with internet service providers.

It’s wonderful to be acknowledged and celebrated for these achievements.

The Comms National Awards is in its 21st year and involves an independent judging process to recognise the success of UK resellers and the suppliers that support public and private sector business customers.

It will take place on Thursday 13th October at The Hilton, Park Lane in London with an evening of entertainment and industry networking.

We are very much looking forward to being a part of this exciting event and the community feeling it creates

FullFibre’s Fibre Heroes has provided the residents of Cheadle access to ultrafast broadband for the very first time.

Cheadle is one of many underserved market towns in the county of Staffordshire that FullFibre can now boast RFS properties in.

With very little disruption, the wholesale network provider began their work in December and already the first residents of Cheadle have access to ultrafast broadband and the digital opportunities that come with that.

FullFibre has a growing number of ISP partners that offer market competition and specifically cater to areas and towns often overlooked or disadvantaged when national upgrades are rolled out.

With the help of their B2C marketing campaign Fibre Heroes, it means that partners of the wholesale network provider receive boosted marketing efforts on top of their usual advertisements.

Area General Manager, Chris Williams had this to say:

“Full fibre broadband in small market towns like Cheadle will be a major advantage to local businesses and communities. Having access to this revolutionary technology can offer multiple benefits to these town especially to those now working from home. We’re delighted to bring ultrafast broadband to Cheadle and will continue to serve generations to come.”

Mark Deaville, Staffordshire County Council cabinet member for commercial matters and local councillor for Cheadle said “Connecting our communities to full fibre broadband will make a huge difference to day-to-day living, learning and to local businesses.

“It enables people to live and work efficiently wherever they are and so the county council fully supports the providers carrying out installation. It’s fantastic to see Cheadle and Leek  connected.”

FullFibre are working hard to connect all residents in Cheadle as well as neighbouring town Leek so that over 10,000 premises in these towns will have access to this technology.

FullFibre’s Fibre Heroes have seen a successful and seamless build in the Staffordshire town

Wholesale network builder FullFibre have ‘lit’ up Leek, one of their Staffordshire build towns.

Focusing on connecting underserved towns, FullFibre operate on a strictly wholesale model allowing for consumer choice through healthy competition amongst their partner ISPs.

Seamlessly building their full fibre infrastructure, through a combination of re-using existing OR ducts/Poles and installing their own physical infrastructure, Full Fibre have flown through the build with significant parts of the town live form day one.

Prioritising the speed of the build has been key in order to raise awareness through their B2C brand Fibre Heroes, generating leads for their retail ISP partners to serve customers within the town.

FullFibre’s Area General Manager of the Leek build, Chris Williams, said:

“Coming to Leek that has historically been underserved and seeing residents desperate for a clean, undisruptive build, we knew we could step up to the challenge. Providing FTTP access for our customers in Leek really fills me with pride for my team, knowing the high-quality work that has been carried out.”

FullFibre continue on their mission to serve 500,000 premises by their first milestone year of 2025.

Wholesale network provider FullFibre are set to partner with internet service provider IDNet.

Specialising in business broadband services, including leased lines/DIA as well as providing residential options, IDNet also offer layer 3 services to local IT businesses in addition to other partners.

For FullFibre’s B2C brand Fibre Heroes, this means that end users will have yet another high-quality choice when it comes to choosing who will provide their residential broadband.

IDNet became the UK’s first B Corp internet service provider, this means the company meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

IDNet is also independently rated by ThinkBroadband as one of the fastest, most resilient, and best supported networks in the UK.

Speaking about this new partnership, FullFibre’s Head of Wholesale Matt Baker said:

“FullFibre is really pleased to be able to announce our partnership with IDNet.  It is really exciting times from both a roll out perspective but also connecting customers. IDNet share a common passion for improving the internet services for communities and we are really looking forward to serving both Business and Residential customers with them.“

IDNet’s Co-Founder and Director, Tim Davies said:

“Partnering with FullFibre is the next step for us at IDNet. Being able to reach customers that we previously deemed unreachable is the obvious benefit from this partnership, but moreover their expertise and support was immediately clear from our initial conversations.

We’re extremely excited for this partnership.“

IDNet joins the extensive list of FullFibre partners who are aiming to connect residents and businesses in historically underserved areas of the UK.

The Forest of Dean Town now has access to an Ultrafast FTTP  gigabit-capable broadband network

FullFibre ltd have embedded themselves in the Cinderford community by enabling residents and businesses access to the very best broadband infrastructure available.

Liaising closely with Gloucestershire County Council, the Forest Economic Partnership (FEP) and the Fastershire scheme, FullFibre was a perfect choice for the community, as a wholesale only provider residents and businesses have a choice of providers they can now access the service through.

In addition to liberating the town from poor broadband options FullFibre, through its customer awareness brand Fibre Heroes, has been busy donating to food banks, providing Easter chocolate to local schools, sponsoring the local Artspace’s new ‘connection’ art competition. These are just some of the activities that have been carried out as part of the collaboration.

As a recognition to the hard work, the main rotunda within Cinderford’s town square has recently been lit up pink, the brand colours of Fibre Heroes.

On top of this, the network is now live and customers can now benefit from FTTP broadband for the first time. This comes after many residents requested better internet speeds and the aforementioned partners rose to the challenge.

Matt Smith, Head of Public Procurement & Engagement at FullFibre said:

“Cinderford has been a welcoming community that understood the need and value for FTTP networks. Liaising closely with the county council, the FEP and Fastershire has been a pleasure and these strong relationships will continue to grow. Becoming part of the community is an added bonus for us at FullFibre and Fibre Heroes.”

Cinderford customers can now register through the Fibre Heroes website or through their partner ISP’s.

Fibre Heroes’ refurbished Fire Engine makes its debut appearance at Shrewsbury Festival

FullFibre’s B2C marketing brand Fibre Heroes unveiled its brand new ‘Fibre Engine’ over the weekend at the Shrewsbury Food and Drink Festival.

Sporting the hashtag ‘#fibreengine’, the refurbished vehicle has been wrapped to match the pink brand colours and was kitted out with educational resources for festivalgoers.

Parked next to a branded gazebo, the one-of-a-kind vehicle sparked curiosity and attracted large crowds, with residents keen to learn more about full fibre broadband.

BeFibre, one of FullFibre’s partners, was also present during the inaugural appearance at the Shropshire Food and Drink Festival

FullFibre and Fibre Heroes will be using the vehicle as an education and brand awareness tool within their build towns, covering the entire Midlands region. It will be used to help promote their full fibre network and encourage residents to reach out to ISP partners to receive a connection.

Marketing Manager of FullFibre Dannii Sumpter, commented:

“It’s wonderful to see the Fibre Engine wrapped and unveiled for the first time. There has been a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes and it has turned out great. We were delighted that everyone came to see it and we’re really excited to use it as a tool to drive awareness of full fibre and generate interest for our ISP partners.”

The team at FullFibre are working hard to generate interest in their newly implemented networks to help their ISP partners connect customers.

 

 

FullFibre’s new FTTP network is now live in the Shropshire town and registering customers

Altnet FullFibre, based in 4 regional offices across the UK, have announced that their wholesale network in Shrewsbury is now accepting customers.

Acting through their B2C brand Fibre Heroes, which actively generates awareness of the new service in the area, customers are now able to access FTTP broadband and achieve speeds of up to 1Gbps.

This announcement comes off the back of their recent build expansion into a 4^th build region whilst adding more towns to their existing 3 regions. Additionally, the network provider has been announcing RFS in other towns including Ross-on-Wye, Leominster, Bayston Hill, Wem and many others.

Having announced their intention to build to Shrewsbury just over 12 months ago, the strictly wholesale network builder is creating a healthy marketplace amongst partnered ISP’s who wish to serve residents within the Shropshire town.

Dan Jones, National Build Director of FullFibre, commented:

“We recognised that building to Shrewsbury would be a challenge, especially given the amount of network builders in the area. But with our build rate and our highly-skilled engineers, we have certainly rised to the occasion. Connecting Shrewsbury is a landmark achievement for us at FullFibre and one that we will continually build upon.”

FullFibre are actively building towards their first milestone of connecting 500,000 premises by 2025.

FullFibre’s Fibre Heroes has unlocked thousands of residents for partners to serve full fibre ultrafast broadband. 

Residents of Leominster now have access to ultrafast FTTP broadband thanks to wholesale network provider FullFibre. 

Leominster is part of the Midlands South region, and part of the initial March 2021 build plan targeting underserved towns. The town is just one of many that have recently gone live with others including Ross-on-Wye and many more to be announced soon. 

FullFibre is a strictly wholesale network provider putting towns and rural areas that have been previously overlooked at the centre of business, bridging the digital divide across their core network that reaches from the border of South Wales to South Yorkshire. 

Acting through their B2C brand of Fibre Heroes, FullFibre are actively generating interest in the area and ensuring partners connect residents through their newly installed, futureproofed network. 

Dan Jones from FullFibre said this:  

“FullFibre is thrilled to make this announcement, providing new technology and possibilities for the community and individual residents of Leominster. We hope it can better equip local attractions, such as the castle and museum, benefitting tourists and local employees alike.”  

Full fibre can help the town of Leominster develop its digital opportunities, offering a new generation of broadband to those who need it most. 

ISP Partners of the Wholesale Network can now Service Ross-on-Wye with Ultrafast full fibre broadband.

FullFibre is pleased to announce that residents and businesses alike in Ross-on-Wye can access FTTP technology, helping to boost the local economy and ending poor connectivity issues in the town.

FullFibre, a wholesale only network provider, partners with multiple consumer and business ISP’s giving local residents choice when it comes to their broadband connection.

Acting through their B2C brand Fibre Heroes, FullFibre promote the awareness and virtues of full fibre broadband infrastructure in the area to ensure the support and growth of their partner ISP’s

This announcement falls on the back of their extensive continued build plans and recent expansion into 24 new towns and areas.

Residents and businesses in the area no longer have to put up with slow internet speeds or patchy video calls especially if they work from home. Full fibre broadband means consistent future proof service assuring the connected capabilities of the town for years to come.

Gareth Yardley, Area General Manager, from FullFibre commented:

“A town like Ross-on-Wye was previously overlooked by large network providers so we’re thrilled to make this announcement. Having access to ultrafast broadband can be a real benefit to towns looking to modernise their digital infrastructure, bridging the digital divide in the UK.”

With this news, partners of FullFibre are able to service customers in the area.

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Wholesale Altnet FullFibre Ltd. have taken another major step forward today by announcing what will become their Fourth region.

The Exeter based CP are building fibre networks right across the Midlands from three regional bases in Ledbury, Telford and Derby.

They have today provided details of their brand-new region to be based in Barnsley and which will extend the company’s reach across the north midlands and Yorkshire.

The news means new jobs will be created in this part of the north of England and even more opportunities for the local supply chain which will extend the economic benefits further still.

The announcement also details the first wave of communities that will be deployed and which will benefit from 1Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband. They are as follows;

Askern, Bawtry, Penistone and Tickhill (South Yorkshire)

Bolsover, Chapel en le Frith, Clowne, Creswell, Hayfield, New Mills, Whaley Bridge, Whitwell  and Wirksworth (Derbyshire)

Boroughbridge (North Yorkshire)

Clayton West, Crofton Denby Dale, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd & Ripponden Skelmanthorpe, & Todmorden and Walton (West Yorkshire)

Edwinstowe (Nottinghamshire)

Funded by the infrastructure investment fund, Basalt Infrastructure Partners III, FullFibre Ltd is in the position to announce these additional towns with more still to come. These towns alone include over 90,000 premises and every single one will be provided with the capability to connect to a gigabit capable internet service as the programme rolls out.

The network provider operates under their front-facing Fibre Heroes brand and are partnered with a variety of ISPs, creating market competition for these and the towns previously announced.

Oliver Helm, the CEO of FullFibre commented:

“FullFibre continues to expand its services outside of dense urban areas and major cities. There are certain areas across the country that are not given the same resources and funding needed for this type of digital upgrade. We remain steadfast in our mission to connect whole communities to ultrafast, reliable broadband and the opportunities that go hand-in-hand with that.

Our work requires longevity and commitment to be successful. We fully acknowledge the importance of upgrading both residents and businesses to not only to compete at the same level as the rest of the country, but also receive access to modern digital services and educational tools.

The additional areas just announced include towns that have been restricted digitally with unreliable copper connections, hindering modern households and businesses. We are now in a position to change that.”

FullFibre COO, James Warner also commented:

“Bringing on our fourth build region is another key milestone in FullFibre’s journey, enabling homes and business the access to the connectivity and services they deserve.

This activity will bring 100’s of jobs to the area and will mean the towns and communities in our newest build region can look forward to future proofed FullFibre service through any partner ISP we work with.”

One of the areas that will benefit from this announcement is the High Peak constituency. Their MP, Robert Largan welcomed the news:

He had this to say: “One of my top priorities is to improve access to ultrafast broadband across the High Peak. Our unique geography means we have some of the worst coverage not-spots in the entire country.  Full Fibre’s investment is fantastic news for local residents. I look forward to working more with them to speed up the ultra-fast broadband roll-out across the High Peak!”.

This announcement means residents in these towns across these counties are in line with FullFibre’s goal to connect 500,000 premises by 2025.