Connexin Start Rollout of 10Gbps Broadband Network in Hull UK
UK ISP Connexin, which a few months ago (here) confirmed they would invest £80m to end KCOM’s “broadband monopoly” in Hull and East Yorkshire by building their own rival 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, has this week achieved a key milestone with the installation of their first street cabinet.
The provider, which until now has tended to focus more on Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) networks, is working collaboratively with Modini Ltd, a programme delivery company specialising in complex programmes, on this rollout, and construction of the network is being undertaken by SCD Group.
The fact that their first cabinet has now been installed is an important development because, according to Connexin, this “means residents are just days away” from being able to connect to an alternative full fibre network – one that isn’t supplied by KCOM, for a change. All of that would be in keeping with the provider’s prior goal of starting to connect their first homes by the end of 2021.
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Sadly, the announcement doesn’t say precisely where the new cabinet has been built (it’s in “East Hull” somewhere), and we’re still a little unclear about the operator’s rollout plan and timescale for their build in Hull. On top of that, they’ve yet to release any details of their packages for homes, although we’d expect them to be competitively positioned vs KCOM.
Will Kebbell, CTO of Connexin, said:
“It’s fantastic to see how quickly our team is progressing with the Fibre build. Having built our metro network earlier in the year, the installation of our cabinets represents the start of real change in the city, It means people are now days away from access to real broadband choice in Hull.
2022 is going to be an exciting year for Connexin- we’ve got a new website launching, we’ll be onboarding our customers and of course continuing to expand the network throughout the city. We’re passionate about investing in Hull. So, keep your eyes peeled, you’re about to see a lot more from us!”
The challenge for Connexin is that they’re not the only gigabit-capable broadband operator trying to crack KCOM’s local monopoly. Both MS3 (here) and Grain (here) have also recently announced major network expansion programmes in the area, and there’s a possibility that Quickline may join them (here).
All of this means that homes and businesses in the city will soon have a wider choice of service, which could force KCOM to adopt more competitive pricing.
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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That looks like Wawne road roundabout, near Kingswood Academy school
Sounds a bit daft to try to overbuild a fibre network when there are so many other places screaming out for help. Mind you, if those companies already have customers in Hull then a fibre upgrade will be really good for them.
Hull has had 99%+ fibre coverage since 2019, so there’s no “fibre upgrade” for anyone.
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/05/kcom-complete-full-fibre-broadband-rollout-to-cover-all-of-hull-uk.html
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/09/top-36-uk-local-authorities-with-full-fibre-cover-above-50-percent.html
It’s about making money. There is a captive marketplace, with a monopoly encumbant that charges high prices at retail whilst at the same time is restricted by Ofcom rules.
That means easy pickings for an altnet to undercut them – certainly easier than building in rural areas.
KComm had a virtual monopoly until recently and now I’m seeing fairly regular reports of ISPs muscling in.
What’s changed in Hull/East Riding telecomms that’s started this alt net injection?
Did KComm wield some sort of power, was it the Council, or something else that’s given these ISPs the impetus and ability to make moves in Hull and the surrounding area?
Don’t get me wrong, as much as the story of telecomms in Hull with respect to KComm and white telephone boxes is an interesting/quaint one, I do feel for the people who were stuck with awful broadband for years.
In super-simplified terms, the UK sector has been incentivised to deploy FTTP by softer regulations, business rates relief, easier / more viable access to Openreach’s existing network to run new fibre and greater support / funding mechanisms. Consequently, we’re seeing somewhat of a fibre “gold rush”, which will inevitably be followed by consolidation as some altnets realise they can’t all play in the same water and, at the same time, gain a viable return on that investment.
They are obviously expecting a ROI, I doubt KCOM would accept duct and pole sharing so it’s all brand new infrastructure for these alt nets
Are KCOM not obliged to share infrastructure in the same way OR are? I thought they were treated the same as OR, both being the original monopolies.
@Davie
Nope. Should they be? Yes clearly. However ofcom have not been effective for a long long time (arguably ever)
Hull is going to be a broadband battlefield, 4 companies digging the roads and installing fibre. No thanks. Traffic is bad enough as it is.
Connexion have already said their work will have hardly any effect on traffic or create more roadworks.
Connexin was digging up the path on new bridge road a few days ago
Starlink hull. 1,000 dishes allow the people to sub it, give over control to us first of its type. Instead of an exchange and ISP (servers) our own computers with a simple software package upgrade our personal hardware becomes the network. The starlink mesh the more that join the biggest the network, your in control. Bye KC bye 3rd party.
I have no idea what this is referring to or why you’d do it.
Still need to pay and have infrastructure to get to the Internet. I have no idea what control you think a thousand nodes on satellite will provide or what this software on people’s computers is supposed to accomplish.
Routing doesn’t accomplish much when all the nodes in the network have the same next hop.
The point of mesh WiFi is to bounce off other customers to reach base stations. Using satellite would be like using base stations to reach other customers, also directly connected to that base station, in an attempt to get to the Internet.
Maybe I’m missing something but I’m totally lost.
‘End Hull’s monopoly’…
This must be the third alt-net to say the same thing. Pure have network, MS3 have network, and now Connexin.
Interestingly, they used the same marketing ploys back in the day when they all provided WiMAX broadband. ‘Finally Hull has a choice’
They need to change the record and sell based on the benefits of their service rather than the tired schtick about being ‘an alternative’. This just makes them sound bitter, as did their press release announcing they were building a network.
KCom employee?
Having seen what’s been on offer in the rest of England I think Hull residents have the right to be bitter.