Netomnia has reached an agreement with Peabody, one of the UK’s largest and oldest housing associations, to transform broadband access for thousands of residents across their housing stock in Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Kent. This strategic partnership will bring lightning-fast internet speeds to a number of properties owned by Peabody, and its subsidiaries marking a significant leap forward for digital connectivity for its residents.

The challenge:

Recognising the challenge of outdated infrastructure and the growing demand for high-speed internet, Netomnia approached Peabody to seek an agreement to future-proof its properties as part of its wider rollout in key locations across Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Kent. The goal is to provide households with reliable fibre broadband infrastructure, enhancing the overall living experience for residents.

The solution:

Through a non-exclusive framework wayleave agreement, Peabody has permitted Netomnia to carry out cabling in their housing stock, to install fibre infrastructure to properties owned and managed by Peabody.

The framework is a bulk agreement, enabling fibre infrastructure to be deployed without delay.

The impact:

Following extensive engagement with Peabody, the agreed wayleave and subsequent network installation will enable residents to experience the benefits of full-fibre broadband such as seamless streaming, clear video calls, and lightning-fast download and upload speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Once the rollout is complete, residents can place an order for ultrafast internet service through Netomnia’s partner ISPs.

Comments:

Sophia Koopman, Business Development Director at Netomnia comments:

“Our partnerships with housing associations are crucial to ensuring our network is available to as many people as possible. Our partnership with Peabody reinforces our commitment to ensuring no one is left behind when it comes to fibre broadband access.”

Elizabeth Connelly, Head of Landscape and Telecoms, comments:

“We are pleased to be working with Netomnia to deliver fibre to our residents. We understand the importance of being connected and we want all our residents to have access to faster, affordable and more reliable broadband. To do this, we're working on a strategic programme that will make sure all our residents have access to fast, affordable broadband and the benefits that connectivity brings.”

Conclusion:

The collaboration between Netomnia and Peabody sets a precedent for how strategic partnerships can drive digital transformation and ensure that high-speed connectivity is accessible to communities across the UK.

The National Wealth Fund’s debt commitment follows a £75 million loan from UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) in 2023, bringing the total to £100 million in support of the continued expansion of Netomnia’s high-speed broadband network.

Netomnia, one of the UK's fastest-growing full-fibre broadband operators, has secured an additional £25 million loan from the National Wealth Fund (NWF). The investment bolsters a £75 million debt commitment made in March 2023 – before the recent transformation of UKIB into the NWF – bringing the total NWF backing to £100 million.

To date, the funding has facilitated the connection of more than 100,000 premises to the Netomnia network, with around 10,000 customers now benefiting from high-speed services across the UK, particularly in digitally underserved regions. This is expected to more than double as the network continues to grow.

Jeremy Chelot, CEO at Netomnia and Group, commented: "This additional £25 million investment from NWF is a powerful vote of confidence in Netomnia's vision and execution. It will significantly accelerate our ability to deliver fast, reliable broadband to more homes and businesses across the UK, particularly in underserved communities. We're not just building infrastructure; we're laying the foundation for the UK's digital future, and Netomnia is committed to ensuring no one is left behind."

Stuart Nivison, National Wealth Fund Head of Portfolio Management, said: “This investment will directly support improvements in areas that would otherwise miss out on the opportunities fast, reliable broadband affords, and so we’re pleased to extend our support to Netomnia as an existing client of the National Wealth Fund.”

This investment comes on the heels of Netomnia's recent merger with brsk, which has catapulted the combined entity to become the second-largest alternative network and full-fibre provider in the UK. The merged company now boasts a network footprint of 1.8 million premises, with ambitious plans to expand to 3 million premises by December 2025.

Since 2020, Netomnia and brsk have collectively raised over £1.3 billion, positioning them well as a scaled and capital-efficient retail, wholesale, and consolidation platform in the market.

The UK Infrastructure Bank became the NWF on 14th October. The new NWF will expand UKIB’s remit beyond infrastructure in support of the Government’s industrial strategy. With additional financial capacity and an enhanced risk budget, the NWF will be capitalised with £27.8bn to catalyse private investment in the market.