North Yorkshire Council to Take NYnet Broadband Scheme National Across UK

The North Yorkshire Council (NYC) in England has announced that NYnet, which is the NYC-owned company that – alongside funding from the local authority, UK government (BDUK) and private investment (network operators) – helped the council to spread faster broadband connectivity across the region, is “set to be expanded nationally“.

The focus of NYnet has already evolved somewhat in recent years. The council-owned company, which also builds, owns, and manages their own fibre network, is today more focused on providing full fibre broadband connectivity to the public sector and businesses in North Yorkshire. In addition, they’ve also expanded into national public sector contracts and supporting IoT services. But their profits can also be reinvested to help boost regional connectivity.

However, the company looks set to evolve once again, with the council preparing to propose a significant change that could help NYnet to grow and attract new customers, thus further boosting its profits. A report, which is due to be considered by the council executive on 6th January 2026, outlines the proposals to launch a “new company” that will focus on the existing contracts in the county’s public sector.

Existing contracts in the public sector that NYnet has secured include overseeing the council’s public WiFi service, as well as the county’s closed circuit television network. More than 300 schools alongside NHS trusts and North Yorkshire Police have also benefited. As for private sector contracts, NYnet has delivered better broadband connections to firms including a Boroughbridge-based logistics company, Reed Boardall.

The proposed move would effectively free up the existing NYnet arm of the broadband project to focus on attracting new business nationally (i.e. NYnet Limited becomes a commercial company).

Cllr Carl Les, Council Leader and NYnet Board Member, said:

“The work of NYnet has led the way nationally to introduce far greater internet connectivity for homes, businesses and the public sector. It has placed North Yorkshire at the forefront of the digital revolution and the plans to create the new company are aimed at ensuring that we remain at the cutting edge of technology nationally.

We will consider the proposals carefully when the executive meets, but this is an exciting opportunity to bring in greater profits and provide an even greater return for the taxpayers of North Yorkshire.

The plans provide exactly the innovation and clear thinking that is needed at a time when all councils are facing significant pressures on their financial budgets and would help to build on a vital revenue stream for the council.”

The official announcement is light on useful details, although we did find more information in the related council documents for next month’s meeting (here). This reveals, among other things, that the council are proposing to establish NYnet Public Sector Limited (NPSL) as the name of the new wholly owned company.

Council Recommendations for Decision in Jan 2026

i) approve the Business Case at Appendix A;

ii) approve the implementation of a new wholly owned company (NPSL), in accordance with the details set out in the Business Case at Appendix A;

iii) approve the setting up of a company limited by shares;

iv) approve the investment of a nominal share capital of one £1 share in NPSL;

v) approve NYnet Public Sector Limited as the name of the new wholly owned company;

vi) approve the appointment of the Chief Executive, the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services), Alastair Taylor, Peter Scrope and Richard Doyle as directors of NPSL;

vii) approve the appointment of the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services) as company secretary of NPSL;

viii) approve the appointment of the Corporate Director (Resources) as the Shareholder Representative for NYnet Limited and NPSL;

ix) delegate the approval of the articles of association and any other governance documents associated with NPSL to the Assistant Director (Legal);

x) delegate the approval of the amendments to the memorandum (including company objects) and articles of association, and any other governance documents associated with the change of NYnet Limited to a commercial company to the Assistant Director (Legal);

xi) delegate to the Corporate Director (Resources), in consultation with the Assistant Director (Legal), to conclude all steps to agree a reduction of the current loan facility cap to NYnet Limited from £10m to £5m and a new loan facility of £5m to NPSL;

xii) delegate to the Assistant Director (Legal) to progress and conclude the working arrangements of NPSL including the method of the provision of support services, staffing and secondment arrangements between NPSL and NYnet Limited;

xiii) delegate all other necessary steps to secure the implementation of the proposed option to the Assistant Director (Legal);

xiv) agree that the appointed officers to the board of directors of NPSL on behalf of the Council will be entitled to indemnity in accordance with the Council’s Indemnity Policy for Members and Employees;

xv) delegate to the Assistant Director (Legal) the approval of the termination of the Council’s existing contract with NYnet Limited and the direct award of new contracts to NPSL under the Teckal exemption or novation of existing contracts as required.

At present the two documents of most interest in all this, Appendix A – Business Case and Appendix B – Proposed Budgets, are both currently “Confidential“. No doubt rival providers in the commercial space will be keeping a close-eye on all this, due to the usual concerns over competition and any potential conflicts of interest etc.