Telcom Group Boost UK Full Fibre Build with IP Infusion Solutions

Manchester-based network operator and ISP Telcom Group (ClearFibre, WeFibre, HyperCity etc.), which via its sub-brands is building various 10Gbps capable “full fibre” broadband and Ethernet networks across the Midlands and North West of England, has chosen solutions from IP Infusion to help upgrade their network.

The operator, which a few years ago secured a significant investment boost of £63m from Gresham House, is said by the announcement to have chosen an open networking strategy to “disaggregate and upgrade its network infrastructure” – focused on their work in key UK cities like Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham.

According to the blurb, “Telcom will be using a combination of IP Infusion OcNOS® software with white-box hardware from Edgecore and UfiSpace to upgrade and interoperate with its existing Cisco, Nokia and Juniper equipment for Aggregation Router and Cell Site Router use cases. This disaggregation strategy provides an incremental upgrade path to deliver modern networking features, as well as providing rapid return on investment by supporting a plurality of hardware vendors.”

Ben White, Principal Network Architect for Telcom, said:

“Utilizing IP Infusion OcNOS has enabled us to push a rich and diverse feature set out to the edge of the network, giving us greater flexibility and variety of services available to our customers.

We find we can gain the same features and functionality as organizations using traditional vendors, but with more diversity on equipment choice and a more nimble vendor able to react according to market trends quicker, all at a better price point.”

Telcom mostly seems to focus on delivering business connectivity solutions, although they do also help to connect rental properties via commercial landlords and some large residential buildings (MDUs). But the operator hasn’t said much about their wider rollout plans for some time. The operator’s website suggests they currently have over 5,000 customers and have connected over 400 buildings across the UK.