UK ISP Giganet (formerly M12 Solutions), which is investing £250m to build a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to 300,000 premises across South England (here), has announced that the company’s founder – Andrew Skipsey – is to step down after 19 long years.
Andrew originally started the business, then M12 Solutions, back in 2003 and later (2012) worked alongside his sons, Matthew and Luke, to pivot M12 from being a voice only telecoms firm, to also becoming a well-respected business to business and consumer broadband ISP. The rural focused provider Wessex Internet also formed part of this history, until M12 sold their share back in 2017 (here).
Since then M12 has morphed into Giganet in order to better target the rapidly growing market for full fibre services, which it has done by both building its own network and offering services via existing networks (Openreach and CityFibre). Last year this effort culminated in a major investment from Fern Trading (£250m) and a refreshed Senior Management Team, led by CEO Jarlath Finnegan.
As a result of all this, Andrew Skipsey has decided that “now is the time to step aside” and let the new management team take the business forward, with an aim of becoming “The Best ISP in the UK” (not an easy task).
Andrew Skipsey said:
“Now is the time for me to hand over to the next generation who are evolving Giganet to become the new challenger brand of our sector building on our strong heritage of excellent quality products backed by awesome customer service. At Giganet our ‘family feel’ is still very much a part of the DNA of the business.
Looking back, I am really proud of our team, who over the years have helped us achieve steady growth, valuable credentials and a stack of business and industry awards. I will be taking some valuable time out before deciding what my next venture might be.”
CEO Jarlath Finnegan said:
“What Andrew and the original team achieved with M12 Solutions right through to obtaining the funding last April will enable us to drive Giganet forward and is a fantastic testament to them. We are on course to be the best ISP and I would like to take this opportunity to wish Andrew the absolute best in whatever the future holds for him on both a personal and business level.”
Since April 2021, Giganet has grown considerably and its workforce has expanded from 25 to 146 employees, with hiring plans that should reach up to 200 staff members by the end of 2022. Giganet has also moved to a bigger HQ in Hampshire with a brand-new Reading branch.
Quality isp
I’ve noticed they have reduced pricing on their Openreach products
So they have.
They kept that quiet!