Spectrum Internet Appoints New Chiefs for Wales FTTP Rollout

Cardiff-based UK ISP Spectrum Internet, which is investing £200m on a deployment of 1Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband to reach 150,000 premises in South Wales by late 2025 (here), has today appointed two familiar industry leaders, Justin Leese and Steve Cooper, to their executive team.

First up is Justin Leese, who is due to become Spectrum’s new Chief Technical Operations Officer (CTOO). Justin has 30 years of experience in the telecoms industry and will be a familiar name to some as he’s currently the Programme Director for the Government’s (DCMS) Building Digital UK team. Prior to that he also worked at ScottishTelecom (Thus plc), NTL (Virgin Media), mBlox, Ericsson and Openreach (BT).

Meanwhile Steve Cooper will become the provider’s new Chief Delivery Officer (CDO). Prior to joining Spectrum, Cooper led the delivery of FTTP at WightFibre on the Isle of Wight and was previously Executive Vice President, Europe, and a member of the Global Development Executive Group at Skanska Infrastructure Development.

Suffice to say that Spectrum Internet are clearly very serious about making a success of their Infracapital funded project, which is also expected to result in the creation of a further 140 jobs.

Justin Leese said:

“Following the recent landmark investment in the company, it is an exciting time to be joining Spectrum. I am very much looking forward to coming home and helping to deliver on Spectrum’s full fibre broadband plans for Wales.”

Steve Cooper added:

“I am pleased to be joining such a talented group, and I am looking forward to working to transform the digital landscape in south Wales, including the connectivity of many currently underserved communities. I’m excited to be able to offer Welsh residents and businesses a far faster, greener and more reliable fibre service, and to be working with the whole team to make Spectrum Wales’s leading homegrown broadband services provider.”

Spectrum’s rollout is due to start soon, with the first to benefit being “towns and villages” in parts of Monmouthshire, the Vale of Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire, with plans to reach other communities across south Wales within the next 3-5 years.