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Research Round-up April 2025

  • Writer: Veronica Speiser
    Veronica Speiser
  • Apr 30
  • 6 min read

Key publication of the month:


 

Produced in partnership with Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA), the 'Metrics for the UK Independent Network Sector' report, sets out a series of key figures which illustrate the continuing growth and successes of the sector, alongside some of the central concerns occupying the minds of Altnet leaders over the last year.


Key points

  • The UK’s independent (Altnet) operators remained resilient during the year, increasing their full network coverage by 27% year-on-year to reach 16.4 million premises at the end-2024.

  • Despite challenging market conditions, high global inflation, soaring energy and resource costs, combined Altnet full fibre footprints covering cities, towns, and villages across the UK are keeping pace with Openreach’s 17.1 million premises at the close of 2024.

  • Almost three-quarters of a million customers decided to switch to an Altnet during 2024 leading to 2.7 million live connections (35% growth year-on-year) to independent fixed networks provided by full fibre gigabit capable connections.

  • For the second consecutive year, access to finance—combined with the broader economic outlook—remains the leading concern among Altnet operators. With rising interest rates and ongoing inflationary pressures, many providers are finding it harder to secure the capital they need to scale networks and maintain operations.

  • Unsurprisingly, Ofcom’s upcoming Telecoms Access Review (TAR26) has surged up the list of concerns, rising five places to take the second spot. With 70% of respondents highlighting potential risks from the review’s outcome, there is a risk that the resulting framework could introduce further challenges to Altnet sustainability—particularly if it weakens competitive protections or entrenches incumbent advantages. 


Figure 1. Key metrics of the independent network supplier sector at the close of 2024.  Source:  Point Topic and INCA annual independent sector report 2025.
Figure 1. Key metrics of the independent network supplier sector at the close of 2024.  Source:  Point Topic and INCA annual independent sector report 2025.

 

Read the complete article in our free analysis here and UK Plus subscribers can now access our quarterly Data Windows.


Explore insights and trends on pricing and ISP key metrics from 2020 to the present with our quarterly downloadable Datasets.



Key April telecoms sector news

BT Group News

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) News

CityFibre (CF) News

Independent Operators (Altnets) News

Other News


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