- nexfibre confirms 800,000 RFS premises as at end December 2023 and remains on track to pass 1 million in the early part of this year
- Next stage outlined in the latest rollout plan published today will see significant footprint expansion across the UK, including widespread coverage in Lincolnshire, Durham, Cheshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, as well as Kent and Buckinghamshire
- Wales and Scotland are set to benefit greatly from nexfibre’s network in the coming months – with new areas in Scotland, including Annan, Auchterarder, and Biggar
22 February 2024, London – nexfibre, the next-generation fibre network operator, has today published its latest quarterly rollout update – which confirms that it now has more than 800,000 premises passed and ready for service (RFS).
This update details the significant progress nexfibre continues to make in deploying its full-fibre network across the UK and that it is on track to reach 5 million premises by 2026. It expects to hit 1 million premises shortly, and is set to become the second largest competitive fibre network by the end of the year.
The report sets out the existing footprint, current activity in-quarter and locations planned for 2024, as well as a map, outlining the continued expansion of nexfibre’s network. With broad coverage across the UK, the places set to benefit with significant volumes include Lincolnshire, Durham, Cheshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Kent and Buckinghamshire. Wales and Scotland are particular areas of focus, with new areas announced in this release including Annan, Auchterarder, and Biggar.
Last week the network operator announced it will invest £1bn in broadband infrastructure this year as part of its plans to drive long-term competition in the fibre access market on a national scale.
Rajiv Datta, chief executive of nexfibre, said:
“Our latest rollout update outlines the remarkable progress we’ve made; we are on track to build more than any other competitive fibre network this year (aside from the incumbent). Our aim is not just to transform access to full fibre broadband; but also to provide lasting national-scale competition in the full fibre market across the UK. We are here to be the sustainable catalyst that is required to drive progress and innovation, and in doing so stoke the growth the UK economy needs.
Our focus from here is on ramping up our rollout and actively working with growth-focused ISPs – that prioritise quality, stability, and customer service – and onboarding them to our network. We’ve made a good start, and remain focused on boosting our presence in the market in the coming months.”
nexfibre has significant capability to invest thanks to its world-class, strategic investors in InfraVia Capital Partners, Liberty Global and Telefónica, with £4.5bn in agreed financing to achieve its goals. Importantly, it also has an exclusive partnership with Virgin Media O2, the second largest retail ISP in the UK, providing a material baseline of penetration to build upon and evidencing the quality and technical capability of its network, as it looks to onboard additional ISPs.
As a wholesale-only provider, nexfibre is committed to building and maintaining a quality full-fibre infrastructure platform for all ISPs and businesses. This focus enables them to deliver more choice, more competition and provide people, communities and organisations with the quality connectivity they need to thrive.
Notes to Editors
- The quarterly update of the nationwide rollout plan can be found here.
- nexfibre continually reviews and adapts plans to ensure rollout is optimised and addresses areas previously underserved, across the UK.
- nexfibre is a joint venture between InfraVia Capital Partners, Liberty Global and Telefónica and is financed with £4.5 billion of equity and debt investment. It will initially roll out fibre to 5 million premises by 2026, with the opportunity to expand to an additional 2 million premises.
- nexfibre’s investment will provide a major boost to the UK’s digital economy and make a significant contribution to the Government’s gigabit broadband ambitions.
- Virgin Media O2 is nexfibre’s anchor wholesale tenant.
- nexfibre intends to make its network available to other internet service providers. Additionally, nexfibre and Virgin Media O2 together intend to wholesale their networks to other internet service providers creating a national-scale operator, boosting choice and competition in the market.
- For press inquiries, please contact Adam Jones [email protected] or Lauren Maher – [email protected]