Westnetworks and FACTCO Hint at New UK FTTP Broadband Plans

Apparently you can never have too many alternative full fibre broadband ISP networks, so here are two more with separate plans to expand across the United Kingdom in the near future – Westnetworks Innovations (WestWiFi) and FACTCO (Ecodial). Both providers already have some presence in the market.

Both of the aforementioned operators have recently applied for Code Powers from Ofcom (here and here), which can help to speed-up the deployment of new fibre optic networks and cut costs by reducing the number of licenses needed for street works to take place.

We should add that Code Powers are also a requirement before operators like this can make use of Openreach’s existing cable ducts and poles (Physical Infrastructure Access) to run their own optical fibre cables.

Westnetworks

We’ll start this off with Westnetworks, which is perhaps better known to some by its sibling ISP brand WestWiFi, which operates a superfast wireless broadband network in rural parts of Somerset (England). However, the operator is now planning to extend their hybrid network – combining a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) network and a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) access network – into other parts of the county (both homes and businesses).

“The coronavirus measures have prevented [them] from using [their FWA] method of network deployment. To ensure that it is not adversely affected by coronavirus measures in the future, it has changed its deployment strategy. In future, it will deploy standalone masts on private land and also extend its FTTP access network,” said Ofcom. Sadly that’s all the information we get for now.

FACTCO

Next up we have FACTCO, which until now has tended to focus on bringing FTTP broadband to businesses. For example, the operator last year helped to deploy a full fibre network down the Shambles street in the city of York (here) and earlier this year they extended 10Gbps capable connectivity across Liverpool’s (Merseyside) Baltic Triangle area (here). On top of that they’ve also built some networks around parts of Newcastle and Northumberland.

Under the new plan the provider is aiming to expand their network in order to “serve predominantly rural areas” in Wales, more of northern England and Scotland. Interestingly the expanded network would “serve homes and businesses,” which suggests that they’re going beyond their business connectivity roots. The FACTCO website does mention offering FTTP for homes, but there are no packages, online order forms or coverage details.

The main focus for this will be on areas that are predominantly served by older copper line broadband technologies (speeds of sub-30Mbps) and where the Building Digital UK programme has yet to go. As usual we’ll now be adding these two operators to our Summary of Full Fibre Build Progress.