Fibre Provider's Weekly Update

Fibre Provider enables the spectrum of organisations driving the UK’s fibre rollout to keep up to date with the latest commercial, regulatory and planning news. As part of this mission, our weekly newsletter compiles the top news that broke during the week and brings it straight to your inbox.

Don't forget to 'subscribe' at the top of this page to receive this essential industry update.

In this week's news...

Quickline secures Project Gigabit contracts worth ￡190m

Quickline Communications Limited has secured two new contacts under the Government’s Project Gigabit programme to connect around 108,000 homes and businesses across parts of rural Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

The two contracts provide a combined ￡190m to connect hard-to-reach premises in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (72,000 premises) and North Yorkshire (36,000 premises).

As a result of the investment, Quickline will also expand its commercial network to a further 107,000 premises in these rural areas.

Quickline has begun work to connect a further 60,000 funded premises in rural Yorkshire under two previously announced Project Gigabit contracts.

This brings the total public investment in full fibre broadband delivered by Quickline to nearly ￡300m.

Quickline CEO Sean Royce said: “We have now won all four contracts we have bid for, making us the UK’s second largest Project Gigabit regional delivery partner and the only provider to be awarded a contract serving Yorkshire under the programme.”

As part of Project Gigabit, Quickline has committed to create more than 200 apprenticeships in the areas covered by the contracts through collaboration with build partners, as well as delivering over 2,500 accredited training courses and online work experience for 1,400 students.

Altnet pair join Fibre Café platform

Trooli and OFNL?are the latest altnets to join Strategic Imperatives ’s The Fibre Café platform, enabling them to access the UK’s FTTx ecosystem at a national level.

The pair of altnets bring an additional 500,000 premises to The Fibre Café platform.

For Trooli this represents the first step in its wholesale strategy led by Wholesale Director, Rhiannon O'Neill following her appointment to the role last year. ?

Andy Conibere , CEO at Trooli, said: “This enables us to further deliver upon our wholesale strategy, by enabling smooth interoperability between us and our wholesale partners who will already have access to 370,000 Ready for Service Premises.”

OFNL specialises in ultrafast fibre networks on new-build housing and commercial developments which are ready the day the occupier moves in.

MD Andrew Robinson said:?“Our wholesale-first strategy has already attracted over 80 Internet Service Providers ISP?to offer a wide range of residential and business packages on our network.”

Wail Sabbagh , MD?at Strategic Imperatives, added: “By joining the platform, both network owners gain a competitive advantage through streamlined onboarding, enhanced automation, and direct access to a rapidly expanding pool of service providers.”?

R100% upgrades reach 57,000 Scottish premises

Over 57,000 Scottish properties in hard-to-reach areas now have access to Full Fibre through the Scottish Government’s ￡600m Reaching 100% programme.

The project, delivered alongside Openreach , has connected remote and rural properties in over 200 places in the first half of this year, from the Shetland islands of Yell and Whalsay to Stranraer and Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway and across the Atlantic to Argyll’s Isle of Seil.

Over 5,950 households and businesses in Aberdeenshire and more than 6,500 in Scottish Borders can access fibre with the build ramping up in Moray and Stirlingshire.

The R100 build is due to start in dozens more places before the end of the year, including the Hebridean island of Mull, Westray and Rousay in Orkney and Kilchoan in the Highlands.

Katie Milligan , Openreach CCO and Chair of its Scotland Board, said:?“More than a thousand people are working on the build, with three million metres of new cable installed so far this year, enough to run up and down the A9 seven times.”

Research from the?Centre for Economics and Business Research?last year predicted that full fibre across Scotland could add ￡4.5 billion to the nation’s economy by 2030. ?

CNA Awards 2024 - Book your table now!

The Comms National Awards, the channel’s most coveted awards extravaganza, are now closed for entries - So now is the time to beat the rush and book your table at the most extravagant awards event of the year!

In addition to tables and places, we have a limited number of VIP table packages where you can entertain your team and your customers in style with the best seats in the house! We also have sponsorship packages which deliver a fantastic amount of branding profile before, during and after the awards. Message Heather Miles to book your place or visit Comms National Awards (cnawards.com) for further details.

The event will take place at the Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster, on 26th September 2024, celebrating stand-out MSPs, channel partners, vendors, carriers, service providers and distributors. Don't miss out!

brsk to connect nearly 30,000 homes in Runcorn

Brsk is adding 30,000 homes and businesses in Runcorn, Cheshire, to its footprint in the north west, taking its total premises passed in the town to 45,000.

The altner has now passed 250,000 premises across neighbouring Greater Manchester, and is extending its rollout into Cheshire, including Wilmslow, Handforth and Poynton, Runcorn.

Regional Head, Gareth Cornelius said: “For too long the town has been overlooked and we feel it’s borderline criminal that the people of Runcorn have so little choice.”

Nationally brsk has passed almost 600,000 homes on its total network across west Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, The Black Country and south Birmingham. New areas within Calderdale, Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire have recently been added to their network.

BDUK Chair Blagden resigns

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has confirmed that Simon Blagden has resigned from the role of Chair with immediate effect.

According to a statement, arrangements for appointing his successor will be confirmed in due course.

Blagden joined BDUK in July 2022 with 30 years of experience in the IT and telecoms industry. He served for 14 years as non-executive Chairman at Fujitsu Telecommunications UK.

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you back here next Friday for the latest news update. Be sure to subscribe at the top of this newsletter to get your copy.