Zzoomm’s 2Gbps FTTP Broadband is Live in Henley-on-Thames
UK ISP Zzoomm, which has an ambition to cover 1 million homes with a 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network by the end of 2025 (here), has today put its new service live for homes to join its network in the Oxfordshire town of Henley-on-Thames.
The provider, which is using ADTRAN’s XGS-PON technology, began their “full fibre” roll-out in the town last September 2019 via their own in-house team of newly trained and locally sourced field engineers (here). Assuming Zzoomm holds to their original plan then we could expect to see 6,800 premises being covered across the town by the second half of 2020.
New customers can expect to pay from £29 per month for a 100Mbps (10Mbps upload) service on a 12 month contract term with free standard installation and a Zzoomm Hub router. Other packages include 400Mbps, 900Mbps or the “WOW!” service that provides one of the fastest home broadband speeds in the UK of 2Gbps (200Mbps upload) for a whopping £189 per month.
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Apparently the packages also come with 24/7 customer service and a guarantee to fix any service issues within 24 hours. Zzoomm are also offering a multiple FTTP broadband service, with customers benefiting from two Zzoomm Hubs, with the second providing an additional 100Mbps to the home for free. Customers can separate home and work networks or teenagers and family Wi-Fi usage through a single full fibre connection.
Matthew Hare, Zzoomm’s CEO, said:
“Life’s too short for bad broadband. From today Zzoomm is offering brilliant broadband at fair prices over a brand-new Full Fibre network here in Henley-on-Thames. No more arguing over Wi-Fi coverage. No more hoping for the speed and reliability you want but cannot have because of old copper cables. Zzoomm’s customers really can now do more.
We are taking the first steps in a quiet revolution to transform the competitiveness of the UK economy. Zzoomm plans to do this one town at a time – we are proud to be working here in Henley-on-Thames and thank the residents and business for their very warm welcome. Our contribution to the future of the UK as a highly connected, agile business country begins today.”
Councillor Stefan Gawrysiak said:
“Zzoomm is building an all-new network across the town. Their incredible two Gigabit service makes Henley-on-Thames, already famous for the fastest rowers, the fastest town in the country for home broadband. This is brilliant for learning, work and play, and will support home working and our small business community, and open up new opportunities to cut commuting. With this fast Full Fibre broadband we want to make Henley the creative capital of the south of England.”
One unusual aspect to Zzoomm’s service is that if you want symmetrical speeds then you’ll need to pay £10 extra per month, which is something that many other full fibre providers will often include as a normal part of the service (except a few players like Openreach that only do asymmetric speed options).
Similarly if you want a Static IP address then that too will add another £10 to your monthly charge (one of the most expensive Static IP add-ons we’ve seen). The big question now is where will Zzoomm build next. At present they still appear to be busy deploying their Henley-on-Thames network and we expect that to continue for a few more months.
UPDATE 2pm
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The routers being provided are ADTRAN’s own SmartRG branded ones, although we don’t know the exact model.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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The charges for both static IP and the uplift in cost for symmetrical given it’s an XGSPON network are insane.
No wonder they’re building in Henley-on-Thames. Certainly wouldn’t be selling much at those prices in Staines-on-Thames.
Wonder what they’re providing with that 2G service in terms of CPE? The other 2G services I’m aware of provided either an ONT/router combination or enterprise-grade kit.
Adtran provide a 10 GB ONT, no need for any enterprise stuff.
I got that part. How does that connect to the rest of the home, though? It an all in one device?
Clearly all press release to prompt interest. They appear to be providing two routers to “increase” WIFI and provide a separate network as an option. The higher products including the 2G is actually two fibre connections to two routers.
I dont know for sure but I would expect a DKT ONT with either a residential gateway from SmartRG (Adtran sister company) or an off the shelf home level type router. Just a guess.
Sorry typo and cant edit the post. *Adtran ONT rather.
Given the shortage of IPv4 addresses, charging for them is not unexpected and ultimately can expect the price to go up for them because they’re not a commodity anymore and v6 adoption isn’t happening at a rate where 4 stops mattering for most purposes.
So I don’t think £10 is that unreasonable.
Unless they’re going to CG-NAT everyone that doesn’t pay for a static IP it’s a cash grab. Plain and simple.
What a time we live in where some people struggled to get 2Mbps and some people can get 2Gbps
Indeed. Let’s ban companies from spending their own money supplying services commercially if they aren’t going to provide them everywhere.
While we’re at it let’s close down the London Underground. What a world we live in where London has overground and underground rail while some cities rely on nothing but buses.
Ah. Some places aren’t served by trains. Best close down the mainlines until coverage is ubiquitous.
Motorways too. Some people get 4 lane carriageways while others are stuck with 1.
What a world we live in.
You’re putting words in my mouth.
Henley-on-Thames isn’t exactly in the poor house and I suspect that the cost of big broadband is a fleabite in household expenses there. What they want 2Gbps for I can’t imagine for, apart from the famous business school, it isn’t a hive of industry. How many viewing streams is that?
Contrary to what Henleys reputation maybe, there are many residents in this town that do not live the high life and have an exorbitant amount of money. A fleabite in household expenses is so far from the truth.
We have major distruption of road closures, carparks blocked (for which henley already suffer from extremely bad parking facilities) and there has been no household notification that this was happening. This is a broadband that alot of the town won’t sign up to because they can’t afford it. £29per month is for the basic “pop” as they call it.
As you say, henley is no longer a “hive of industry” and we have shop closures regularly, so why do we need this? Surley, funds are better spent in other areas that the town actually needs.
ZZOOMM is far to expensive for the majority of local people, but then it seems local people’s opinions do not count as normal.
Please, maybe talk to some of the towns people before making an overall judgment on the people that live there. “Its Henley so they can afford it”, “not in the poor house” as you described. You have no idea
Only adslmax will have it – 2Gbps fibre to his own home!
Nah, max will moan it isn’t 10G, and/or claim to have 100G already.
For £9.99 a month, no contract.
Hi, I live in Henley and we are certainly not signing up for this. The company is unprofessional. These were recommended by the Henley town council which doesn’t say alot at all.
Wow, such bombast. How confident are you that you’re presenting the unanimous opinion of the city?
Hi, unfortunately we are not a city just a very small town. Broadband is not a priority to, paying my bills and buying food is my top priority, I didn’t vote for the most recent town council along with others. The company has interfered with BT equipment without permission and there are other issues.
I have signed upto zzoomm. The installation from the road to my property was done in less than a few hours and the employees have been very professional. I now have full fibre and its so much faster than before. For Henley residents who have the chance to move to zzoomm I think its a no brainer.
Obviously not all of us have money to spend on overpriced internet.
Hope the service is good. Considering signing up myself. Have they supplied a simple 401 ONT with one Ethernet connection and no POTS VOIP port?
In reply to the above points. We all have choices but I think at £29 per month a full fibre service is good value and certainly is going to save me money compared with alternatives I have explored. I will use whatsapp with my mobile phone for calls. So far the broadband speed for this service from ZZOOMM is a download speed of 134Mbps versus 17Mbps for the previous FTTC service provider. I had issues before with conference skype calls dropping out so I am optimistic that I will no longer have these problems.
Its supplied with two Zzoomm Hubs and I have extended Wi-Fi coverage. The router seems good from SmartRG and has 4 x LAN connections on the router so its more than what you need.
So far a very happy customer. Why would you not want much faster/reliable broadband and save money!