Its been announced today (January 27th 2025) that Altnets Full Fibre Ltd aka Fibre Heroes and Zzoomm have agreed a merger that will see them become one of the Uk’s largetst Altnets.
Over 600,000 combined RFS premises
Full Fibre Ltd who in the past couple of years merged with Digital Infrastructure and retail ISP Be Fibre have today agreed a merger with Altnet Zzoomm.
Full Fibre Ltd who operate a Wholesale model and now also own ISP BeFibre have built to around 380,000 premises classed as Ready for Service or RFS and have around 35,000 customers connected.
They serve areas such as Shropshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
Zzoomm on the other hand operate as a closed model and act as both the network builder and ISP and have built to around 200,000 premises RFS and have around 30,000 customers.
They have built in areas such as Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Wiltshire and Cheshire.
Looking at data from think broadband maps there looks to not be a lot of overlap between the two networks in terms of areas covered which is good and means the two networks will have a combined 600,000 premises RFS and 65,000 customers making them one of the largest UK alt-nets and will put them in a good position for further mergers/acquisitions.
Both networks offer multi gig speeds and symmetrical speeds.
Matthew Hare, CEO of Zzoomm (Pictured on the Left) , will become Executive Chairman and James Warner, CEO of FullFibre, (Pictured on the right) 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.”
An exciting new chapter...
Having built up a good relationship with FullFibre Ltd over the past 5 years being very grateful to them for being the first FTTP provider to go live at my address, being able to test 5Gbps speeds and having the privilege to have a tour of one of their Fibre Cabinets I’m pleased to see this news today and excited to see what happens.