TalkTalk Business Merge with UK Tech Services Provider ARO – Creates £200m Group

Business broadband and communications provider TalkTalk Business (TTB), which in 2023 was demerged from the TalkTalk Group and sold to the same group’s own shareholders for £95m (here), has today announced that they’ve agreed to merge with technology services provider ARO to create one of the UK’s largest independent connectivity and managed service providers (MSP).

The new group will bring together approximately 650 employees, annual revenues of around £200 million and a combined customer base of more than 70,000 organisations across its digital connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity and managed IT services.

“Together, the combined group will have the scale, expertise and resources to accelerate investment in technology, service delivery and innovation, strengthening its ability to support customers at every stage of their digital transformation journey,” states the announcement.

The deal means that ARO will extend its impact as part of a larger organisation with expanded capabilities and scale. For TalkTalk Business, the merger continues their evolution toward becoming a managed technology services provider, which also builds on their previous acquisition of Planet IT.

Ciaran Rafferty, CEO at ARO, said:

“This is a defining moment for both ARO and TalkTalk Business. Together, we are creating a business with the scale, expertise and ambition to become a leading independent provider of connectivity and managed technology services in the UK.

By bringing together our complementary strengths, we are creating a stronger partner with broader capabilities, deeper expertise and greater capacity to invest in innovation, service delivery and long-term customer success.”

Ruth Kennedy, CEO of TTB, said:

“This merger represents another important step in our transformation into a leading managed services provider and brings together two highly complementary businesses to create a leading independent technology partner for UK organisations.

The market is evolving rapidly, with organisations increasingly seeking technology partners that can combine strategic expertise, operational excellence and broad service capabilities at scale. This combination creates a business that is uniquely positioned to meet those expectations and support customers across every stage of their technology journey.

We are creating a platform with the scale to invest, innovate and grow. Together, we have an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in the future of the UK technology services market.”

According to the announcement, the newly merged business will “initially” continue to operate under their existing brands to ensure continuity for customers, employees and partners. But over time this may well change. As it stands the merger is still subject to final approval under the National Security Investment Act (NSIA), which is not expected to throw up any obstacles and should thus conclude by the end of the summer 2026.

The development comes shortly after both TalkTalk’s debt-strained consumer and wholesale (PXC) businesses were both separately linked to potential acquisitions by different companies and investors (here and here). But it’s worth noting that TalkTalk Business formally completed their separation from the wider Group back in Feb 2026 and are “now operating as a fully independent organisation“ (here).