All UK Fibre Challengers articles
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Partnerships & AlliancesSky marks CityFibre go-live with 5Gbps launch
UK ISP launches new Full Fibre Gigafast+ offerings, supporting speeds of up to 5Gbps for premises connected to CityFibre’s infrastructure. CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch says the deal will help to “deliver a healthy, competitive market for the long-term”…
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Deep DiveUK Fibre: altnet optimism vindicated over time as take-up erodes incumbent dominance
In depth: Eight Advisory’s latest Tracker shines light on altnet challenge to Openreach, with mature cohorts reaching parity and fibre insurgency continuing amidst land-grab tactics. TelcoTitan’s analysis explores linear trajectory of upstarts, impact of overbuild, continued testing of investor patience, and whether the UK can truly sustain more than two major platforms…
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Network & InfrastructureUK’s Freedom Fibre bails out of second Project Gigabit deal
UK altnet becomes latest to cancel rural fibre contract with Building Digital UK, leaving the organisation needing to find another supplier to cover more than 8,500 un-connected premises …
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Financial & PerformanceCityFibre closing in on existential £2bn funding — report
Leading UK fibre altnet reportedly close to securing long-anticipated new equity and debt refinancing, to support operations, organic expansion, and M&A consolidator credibility in overcrowded fibre sector. CityFibre says further details to come “shortly”…
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Venturing & InvestmentsWessex Internet secures another helping of UK gov fibre funding
The UK government’s National Wealth Fund injects £50m into rural-focused altnet. Combining the cash with prior Project Gigabit wins, Wessex Internet aims to more than triple its current fibre footprint…
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Products & ServicesCityFibre seeks B2B market share with Ethernet expansion
UK’s largest altnet has made Business Ethernet services available to more than 260,000 enterprises, claiming the expansion will enable its ISP partners to sell services in an “easier and more efficient” manner…
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Partnerships & AlliancesHyperoptic switches up strategy with Openreach infra deal
UK altnet signs deal to access “at least” one million additional homes, using Openreach’s fibre infra to provide broadband services, in a shift from its previous own-build strategy…
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Financial & PerformanceTalkTalk late to pay broadband suppliers amidst financial woes — report
TalkTalk has reportedly missed several deadlines for payments to key broadband suppliers such as Openreach and CityFibre, in latest sign of struggle from the debt-burdened UK telco…
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Financial & PerformanceOpenreach seeks another gear as altnets gain and CPs flop
FY24–25: BT CEO Allison Kirkby has tossed earlier promises of lower capex, instead fuelling an accelerated fibre build “now that we’ve got the engine humming” to bolster a defence against altnet incursions, and make up for CP shortcomings…
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Network & InfrastructureFullFibre becomes latest altnet to call off Project Gigabit contracts
UK altnet FullFibre “mutually” agrees with Building Digital UK to terminate two rural fibre contracts, after several other operators have cancelled subsidies under the Project Gigabit scheme in recent months.
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Financial & PerformanceCommunity Fibre take-up rate hits 25% after strategic shift
Altnet hits 25% full-fibre take-up rate, placing it third only to Openreach and nexfibre/VM O2 among UK fibre majors.
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Products & ServicesRip & Restart: AllPoints launches aquila UK fibre wholesale platform
Days after Zen’s The Fibre Hub launch, Fern Trading outpost opens curtains on UK’s latest aggregator in effort to offer a simplified, stable route to ‘national’ ISP scale, with multiple FibreCos and B2B retailers already on board. Could this be the game-changer the altnet segment needs?
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M&AVirgin Media O2 still eyeing altnet buys despite pressing pause on NetCo plan
Virgin Media O2 remains hungry for fibre altnet M&A while its NetCo sale plans are put on ice and its own fibre build rate cools off this year.
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Financial & PerformanceUK FibreCo Netomnia seeks positive EBITDA in 2025 after fundraise
Jeremy Chelot, CEO at UK fibre builder Netomnia, claims it is “poised” to achieve positive EBITDA in 2025, as well as to reach its end-of-year fibre rollout target of three million premises passed.
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Strategy & ChangeVM O2 slams brakes on NetCo fundraise amidst Telefónica strategy hiatus (nexfibre curtailed, too)
Plans to sell stake in NetCo spinout paused, as co-parent Liberty looks to “align” with partner Telefónica’s new management. nexfibre build also dramatically slowed to maintain “capital discipline” in UK’s “increasingly irrational” fibre market. Meanwhile, Netomnia raises new funds, ups target by another two millions homes…
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EventwatchOpenreach and altnet ‘Gladiators’ trade blows on future costs of PIA
Connected North 2025: In robust exchanges at Connected North, Fibrus Chair warns regulator is on the verge of repeating mistakes of the past on PIA pricing, and too easily steered off course on policy.
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Network & InfrastructureINCA hails altnet heroes as spectre of overbuild looms
In a punchy, positive report altnet industry group INCA hails “dynamic” altnets on a mission to bring “fairer, faster, and more resilient” connectivity to the UK, but competitive benefits may not be sustainable, and the spectre of ‘supervillain’ Openreach still looms large.
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M&ACityFibre returns to M&A with Connexin deal
Acquisition of network assets in Hull and surrounding region could see additional 184,000 premises passed by CityFibre network.
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M&A2025: the year UK FibreCo cash becomes king?
This year may see further billions injected into altnets to pump-prime M&A consolidation, while 2026 could start to see what the end-state looks like (third scale player or continued swarm).
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InterviewNeos Networks on renewal of its UK backbone for altnets, AI and hyperscalers
Neos Networks is reshaping its trajectory with a sharpened focus on optical connectivity and strategic partnerships like Project Reach with Network Rail. Learn how this SSE-Infracapital-backed UK backbone operator considers itself uniquely placed to leverage opportunities in AI-fuelled data centre expansion and altnet consolidation.