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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.

Netomnia, a leading full-fibre network provider, in collaboration with local authorities, has enhanced broadband infrastructure in Stroud Town Centre. By partnering with local councils and the chamber of commerce, Netomnia identified the need for improved internet connectivity among businesses, which previously struggled with sluggish speeds between 10 and 30Mbps.

Through strategic planning and stakeholder engagement, Netomnia successfully deployed its full-fibre broadband network, elevating internet speeds to an unprecedented 10,000Mbps enabling Stroud businesses to thrive in the digital age.

The challenge

Before Netomnia's intervention, businesses in Stroud Town Centre faced significant limitations due to inadequate broadband speeds. With a maximum bandwidth of 30mbps, these enterprises encountered hurdles in everyday operations, hindering productivity and growth.

To add to the challenge, Gloucestershire County Council had plans to upgrade the town centre by resurfacing the footways and carriageways. This meant there was a limited amount of time to address any potential construction work required for broadband infrastructure due to restrictions on utilities works on newly resurfaced ground for up to three years.

The solution

Following requests for support from the local community, Netomnia engaged with local councils, council officers and the chamber of commerce to better understand the needs of Stroud Town Centre businesses. By fostering collaborative relationships and actively engaging stakeholders, Netomnia gained valuable insights into the local business needs.

With the local authority's plans for Streetworks and town centre improvements, Netomnia seized the opportunity to build its fibre infrastructure alongside ongoing construction projects—streamlining deployment and minimising disruption to the local community.

Communication with Gloucestershire’s Streetworks and planning teams was crucial for both works to be carried out simultaneously, avoiding a lengthy delay for broadband improvements in the town centre.

Netomnia’s network build was completed in a matter of weeks.

The result

The impact of Netomnia's work with the community has given businesses in Stroud Town Centre the ability to access fast and reliable broadband services which would otherwise be unavailable.

Through Netomnia's partner Internet Service Providers (ISPs), businesses can now experience an enormous increase in internet speeds - from a mere 10mbps to an astounding 10,000Mbps.

This dramatic improvement in connectivity will empower businesses to embrace digital technologies, streamline operations, and unlock new opportunities. From seamless video conferencing to lightning-fast data transfers, businesses can now harness the power of high-speed internet to elevate their competitiveness and deliver improved services to their customers.

Comment from Zoltan Kovacs, Managing Director at Netomnia:

“We were delighted to work with Gloucestershire County Council and the local community to bring this much-needed infrastructure to Stroud Town Centre. With the community now having access to broadband speeds of up to 10,000mbps, this will no doubt revolutionise the way businesses operate, supporting economic growth in the area for decades to come. Stakeholder engagement is an essential part of making this happen for thousands of communities across the UK.”

Comment from Mayor of Stroud & Chairman of the Stroud & District Chamber of Trade & Commerce, Cllr Tony Davey:

“The town’s communities, both residents and commercial, had struggled with unsuitable speeds and unstable connectivity for too long. With blended working and an increased need to do business online, reliable and fast broadband is a necessity. Stroud is going through an exciting period of positive change and improvement, and I feel that having access to a full-fibre network will help provide much needed business service continuity that the town needs to continue to evolve. It will also help ensure our resident communities are well served and that new businesses coming to the town will have the infrastructure needed to thrive here.”

Conclusion

Netomnia's collaboration with local authorities and its strategic deployment of full-fibre broadband infrastructure has futureproofed local businesses in Stroud Town Centre. By delivering ultrafast internet access through partner ISPs like YouFibre, Netomnia has empowered businesses to thrive in an increasingly digital landscape.

Netomnia's work continues in Stroud and the surrounding areas, with around 7,000 premises ready to take a service.

Netomnia, the UK’s fastest-growing altnet, has passed, and made Ready for Service (RFS), more than 1,000,000 homes and businesses as part of its national fibre rollout, in just four years.

The milestone demonstrates Netomnia’s exponential growth, with the business passing 500,000 premises within the last year alone, reinforcing its mission to become the third national fibre infrastructure in the UK.

Founded in 2019 by Chief Executive Officer, Jeremy Chelot, Netomnia’s network now covers over 100 communities across the UK, providing residents and businesses with access to broadband speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Since its inception, Netomnia has laid over 15,600km of fibre to build its network – the equivalent distance of London to Cairns, Australia.

Zoltán Kovács, Managing Director at Netomnia comments: “We are incredibly proud that our network now serves one million premises. We started building our network in 2020 and to reach one million premises in just four years is truly unprecedented. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire team. Thank you to all our partners and stakeholders for being part of this journey.

“By accelerating the UK’s transition to fibre, we’re empowering residents and businesses to unleash their potential by providing access to world-class connectivity, today.”

Netomnia recently announced its merger with fellow altnet, Brsk, which will create the market’s first wholesale and consolidation platform. This makes the group the second-largest altnet in the UK with a combined total of 1.6 million premises ready for service.

The group has a target to reach three million premises by the end of 2025.

To see if your premises is included in Netomnia’s rollout, please visit netomnia.com/check-availability

Netomnia and Brsk, two of the fastest-growing alternative networks (“altnets”) in the UK telecommunications industry, today announced a merger to establish the only scaled and capital-efficient retail, wholesale and consolidation platform in the market. The new group will have a combined network footprint of 1.5 million premises immediately post-merger, with a target of reaching 3 million premises by the end of next year.

This merger marks a transformative step for the UK telecoms industry, combining two highly experienced management teams with proven track records who have successfully built fibre and delivered excellent customer service across different businesses. Netomnia and Brsk built 1.5 million premises Ready for Service “RFS” and connected 140,000 customers so far using £300 million of debt. They plan to use up to £900m of debt to grow the footprint to 3 million premises, demonstrating the companies’ prudent approach to capital management.

Since 2020, Netomnia and Brsk have raised over £1.3 billion of capital, with support from investors Advencap (shareholders of both Netomnia and BRSK), DigitalBridge, and Soho Square Capital. DigitalBridge and Advencap will be committing additional equity funding as part of this raise. Recently, Netomnia secured an additional £147 million in debt from two new lenders, JP Morgan (JPM) and Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), joining existing lenders Alpha Bank, Ares, Barclays, HSBC UK, ING, NIBC, Nord/LB, Standard Chartered, RBC, and UKIB.

Jeremy Chelot, CEO of Netomnia, comments: "By merging our network expertise and resources, we are creating a powerhouse to deliver an unparalleled internet experience for our customers, driving innovation and further consolidation among altnets. The additional capital from our investors and support from our lenders is a powerful endorsement of our vision and ability to execute at the highest level.”

Giorgio Iovino, CEO of Brsk, comments: "The merger is a testament to our shared entrepreneurial spirit and experienced teams that can deliver even more. Together, we are set to deliver a fibre network that is not only fast and reliable but also future-proof, ensuring our customers benefit today and tomorrow. Our joint platform will be where the most powerful internet lives.”

The merger is set to be finalised in the coming weeks, pending regulatory approval, enabling customers to benefit from an alternative FTTP platform that offers a seamless network experience, unified pricing, and enhanced service quality across the shared footprint. The newly merged entity will be led by Jeremy Chelot as Chief Executive Officer and Wil Wadsworth as Chief Financial Officer. Giorgio Iovino and Ian Kock will remain as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, respectively, of Brsk.

Netomnia, one of the fastest growing altnets in the UK, along with ISP sister company YouFibre, has raised a further £147.5 million, increasing its committed debt financing to £377.5 million.

Netomnia has successfully completed an additional fundraise of £147.5 million in its accordion facility welcoming three new lenders: Barclays, Alpha Bank and Nord/LB, with support from all incumbent lenders.

The backing will see Netomnia continue its rapid ascent to become one of the UK's leading fibre providers. The company, known for its speedy network deployment, innovation, and efficient use of capital, has now passed 850,000 premises, with YouFibre welcoming 80,000 customers.

Supported by Advencap, DigitalBridge and Soho Square, Netomnia and YouFibre have raised £795.5m (over 1bn USD) in just three years.

Jeremy Chelot, CEO at Netomnia and YouFibre, says:

"We are very pleased to welcome three new lenders to Netomnia and YouFibre with support from our existing lenders. This backing demonstrates the strength of Netomnia’s deployment plans in the market and we’re delighted they have chosen to support the continued acceleration of our businesses.

“Our success is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, as well as the unwavering support of our investors and partners. With this latest round of funding, we are well-positioned to accelerate our network deployment efforts and continue delivering best-in-class internet services and customer experience."

Netomnia and YouFibre were advised by Allen & Overy LLP.

The capital raise was led by DigitalBridge.

For the latest information on Netomnia’s rollout plans, please visit netomnia.com/rollout

Ensuring people get mobile signal where and when they want it can be extremely challenging. Demand for mobile data keeps going up and people increasingly expect mobile signal wherever they are.

The City of London is one of the busiest areas in the UK, with narrow streets and high footfall, all penned in by tall buildings made with tonnes of metal and glass. As such, the Square Mile presents a definite challenge for mobile connectivity. People want to use their mobiles when out and about and this places high demand on macro cell sites on rooftops or masts.

Freshwave, the UK’s leading connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider, partnered with Netomnia, one of the fastest growing full fibre networks in the UK and provider of dark fibre network solutions, to install 10 outdoor small cell sites along a 1km stretch of Queen Victoria Street, passing Bank, Mansion House, the Millennium Bridge and Blackfriars.

These outdoor small cells enhance 4G and 5G mobile capacity so that people in busy urban areas at street-level can benefit from boosted mobile signal. Critically, Freshwave created the mobile infrastructure to make it shareable and capable of delivering 4G and 5G for all four mobile network operators with no adjustments to the infrastructure needed – a first for the UK.

Netomnia was the dark fibre provider of choice for this project due to the way it builds its network. The company specialises in using existing ducting under roads and pavements, used for telephone wires and copper internet, to quickly run its fibre network without having to carry out any additional civil works. Ideal for the busy Square Mile.

But, adding to the normal complexity that comes with the pilot of new infrastructure technology was, ironically, London’s old infrastructure. There is not a duct in the area that isn’t filled with both current and obsolete technology. Likewise, there was a desperate need to minimise disruption throughout the build.

Netomnia’s software-driven approach to building its network meant it and Freshwave were able to work closely with the City Corporation to develop a detailed plan that would circumnavigate heritage infrastructure (utilising the vast underground pipe subway networks) and minimise disruption to the local community. With a well-organised installation team and open communication with the City of London Highways Operations Division, the project was completed within just six months.

Ultimately the project was a success, demonstrating that new infrastructure doesn’t have to mean massive delays and disruption, provided it’s delivered by a smart and collaborative team. Two mobile operators are already live on the network with a third joining soon. And the next phase of the project will see the rollout of the technology across the City, resulting in the densest outdoor small cell network in the UK.

To find out more about Freshwave and Netomnia’s collaboration, click here.

More than 51,000 homes and businesses in Musselburgh and the surrounding areas will soon have access to full-fibre gigabit capable broadband thanks to Netomnia, the UK’s fastest-growing network operator.

Netomnia’s full-fibre network, which is already being built, will provide ultrafast broadband access to more than 51,000 premises in Musselburgh, as part of a £15.3m investment in the area. Residents and businesses in Musselburgh will be able to benefit from the UK’s largest exclusively 10Gbps network, meaning that the region’s broadband needs will be met for decades to come.

Netomnia’s full-fibre broadband infrastructure brings with it a host of big-picture benefits to Musselburgh, and the UK as a whole. It brings reliable, ultrafast broadband speeds to under-served communities and introduces competition in areas that already have an existing connection.

Zoltan Kovacs, Managing Director at Netomnia, says, “We are fully committed to creating a digital landscape where residents and businesses in Musselburgh and the surrounding communities can access reliable and superfast broadband. We want to empower them by eliminating the digital barriers that have constrained them until this point, providing them with seamless connectivity.

“Our vision is a future where reliable internet access is not a luxury but a fundamental right. People across Musselburgh will now be able to access significantly increased speeds, allowing them to fully leverage the vast resources and opportunities offered by the Internet. This will be a game-changer for many.”

To find out if your property will be connected to Netomnia’s network, visit the postcode checker.

More than 85,000 homes and businesses in Hitchin will soon have access to full-fibre gigabit capable broadband thanks to Netomnia, the UK’s fastest-growing network operator.

The full-fibre broadband infrastructure, which is already in build, will provide ultrafast broadband access to more than 85,000 properties in Hitchin, as part of Netomnia’s investment of more than £25.5m in the area. Residents will benefit from the UK’s largest exclusively 10Gbps network, meaning that the region’s broadband needs will be met for decades to come.

Netomnia’s full-fibre broadband infrastructure brings with it a host of big-picture benefits to Hitchin, and the UK as a whole. It brings reliable, ultrafast broadband speeds to under-served communities and introduces competition in areas that already have an existing connection. The company is partnering with GNS Communications to roll out its broadband infrastructure in Hitchin using existing ducting and overhead poles where possible to minimise disruption to the local community.

Zoltan Kovacs, Managing Director at Netomnia, says, “We are delighted to announce our ongoing efforts in Hitchin. Our reliable full fibre broadband can truly unleash the potential of the area and give those that other providers left behind an opportunity to benefit from all the positives the Internet brings with it.

“By providing future-proof broadband, we aim to unlock limitless opportunities, fuel innovation, and strengthen the local community. It is truly fantastic to be part of this journey, enhancing digital experiences and contributing to the advancement of Hitchin's vibrant business ecosystem and the everyday lives of its residents.”

To find out if your property will be connected to Netomnia’s network, visit the postcode checker.