AllPoints Fibre Networks Completes Internal UK Full Fibre Consolidation
Alternative broadband operator All Points Fibre Networks (APFN), which is owned by Fern Fibre (Fern Trading), has today announced that their long-running internal consolidation – bringing together their own-built FTTP networks and retail ISPs into a single group (Giganet, Jurassic Fibre, Swish Fibre, the original AllPoints Fibre, and Cuckoo) – has now completed.
The complex process was first announced all the way back in February 2023 (here) and has resulted in two primary operations – APFN for the wholesale (network) business and Cuckoo as the retail ISP, which both operate as self-standing companies, albeit owned by Fern Fibre.
The completion of this process has also prompted some leadership changes today. Ronan Kelly, previously APFN CTO, has now been appointed APFN Managing Director. Nisreen El-Kaloush, previously Commercial Director, has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer to lead on developing long-term commercial frameworks.
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Finally, as “leadership of the business at group level is no longer required” with the consolidation and relaunch complete, Jarlath Finnegan, Group CEO, and Graham McGregor, Group CFO, are said to be departing. Meanwhile Ronan, along with Sarah Howells, MD of Cuckoo, will report to Fern Fibre’s new Executive Chair, Adam Dunlop, who joined the Fern Fibre Trading Limited Board in May 2025. Adam was recently serving as CEO of TalkTalk, but he has also held leadership positions at iD Mobile, Dixons Carphone and Cable & Wireless.
Ronan Kelly said:
“It’s an honour to take APFN into its next phase of trading now that the consolidation plan is complete. Since we launched aquila, we have had a fast start and we have huge interest from potential partners, and I am excited to connect more of them to the platform in the months ahead.”
I want to express my warm thanks to Jarlath and Graham, who successfully transformed the five companies into the two we have now. They leave those companies in great shape as we continue to shake up the connectivity market.”
Adam Dunlop said:
“I am coming into my role as Executive Chair at a very exciting time. I am already working with Ronan and Sarah so we can ensure that APFN and Cuckoo accelerate the great progress already made.
My sincere thanks to Jarlath and Graham. It is down to their hard work and dedication that both APFN and Cuckoo have got to where they are today. To build and successfully launch aquila in such a short time is a remarkable achievement whilst also bringing all our retail operations onto one platform with no legacy systems. On behalf of everyone at both companies, I want to send them our warm wishes for the future.”
However, it’s probably not unfair to say that the consolidation did cause some problems and confusion for customers of Giganet, Jurassic Fibre, Swish Fibre, although APFN will be hoping that it can now finally put those days behind it and move on into the future. But we have also seen plenty of people complaining that they still can’t order packages on APFN’s own network, often only getting choices for Openreach or Cityfibre instead (i.e. the consolidation doesn’t seem 100% complete to us, until they fully integrate the retail side).
Despite this, the network operator has yet to announce any firm expansion plans for their own Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network, although the completion of their internal consolidation might also open the gates to an external consolidation by another operator (Cityfibre has recently been in the frame, despite APFN saying its “not for sale“). But in the meantime, their focus seems to be on the wholesale side.
Finally, it’s not mentioned in the announcement, but APFN do also own retail broadband ISP Brillband (here).
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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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Just in time to sell it’s 500K homes to cityfibre.
All complete, really? Just checked on Cuckoo for our property and the speeds they’re advertising still look like Openreach GPON and not APF (formerly Swish) XGS-PON which is supposedly been live since Jan ’24.
Ditto — still seeing asymmetrical speeds at my address for Cuckoo. Ex-Swish area. I already have a Swish ONT, although I left Swish ~6 months ago.
Worse still they aren’t even price competitive with the competition being £3 a month more expensive than the equivalent Plusnet package.
For reference the speeds Cuckoo are offering to our property (down/up) are 150/25, 500,70 & 900/109, not what I’d expect from XGS-PON. APFN (Swish) were a shambles during the install phase leaving half finished works for over 12 months before finishing the job. We were then plagued with their reps and now they don’t seem to be offering connections at all.
People in the market have been talking about consolidation as a turn key solution to the industry for years. This is the reality of consolidation, it takes years to complete, its not clear to the consumer whats happening, let alone the market and its seemingly quite messy. When it was announced it was on the basis that APFN would become a top 4-5 player, are they anywhere near that after spending years completing this process? i don’t know the answer, i’m just point out that this is seemingly what happens when the Altnets merge and perhaps why we arent seeing more mergers. And this is when the companies have the same investors!
I wouldn’t count on any further expansion of their own FTTP network. Investor documents dated April 2025 state that the network build phase for the business is now complete, and that they have full focus on sales execution.
Indeed, and I don’t see such a small own FTTP network being commercially viable. I really wouldn’t be surprised if the physical network assets were sold to e.g. CityFibre.
Except you still can’t place orders at enabled properties. Some houses in my postcode were cabled up a year ago but if I go to giganet.uk, it redirects to cuckoo which says the property is not serviced.
What are they up to?
Im in the same boat as sonic. Giganet laid microducting. We had them try and get business but nexfibre beat them by a few months (90% of roads in the area its was the other way round). They’ve left blue rope to pull fibre through but try and order and its not available. Real shame as VM are a shambles… id love an alternative.
@Ben – it’s difficult to see what value the access network assets have, at least in the ex Jurassic Fibre areas. Only the easy builds have been completed (e.g. none of the Openreach direct-in-ground areas in Exmouth) and in at least 2 villages orphaned assets are everywhere – runs of fibre not connected anywhere, MSTs on poles with the fibres looped underneath. Presumably these are incurring PIA access charges?
The consolidation would be an interesting interview topic for Richard Tang. It would be good to know why it appears to have taken more than two years, how much it cost, did it have an impact on BaU, and will the consolidation improve returns are a few questions that come to mind.
All a bit odd. I was informed that I would transfer to Cuckoo from Jurassic this month and would get their 500/500 service as the closest match to Jurassic’s 450/100. I now have 500/500 roughly, the upload varies quite a bit.
If I try to sign up as a new customer I’m offered 500/70. Go figure!
I’m in a Giganet served area and have been connected since 2023, none of the properties on my road are able to place an order via Cuckoo – being told that they are not in the area yet and the Giganet order form redirects back to Cuckoo. A right mess things seem to be in.
As a consumer it’s still not clear who I turn to for support queries with the Giganet site being live but being billed via Cuckoo.
This smells strongly of a pre-sale dressing up, as the Fern telco adventure is a total disaster. Over the past 3 years, the Fern team has arguably damaged any value that did exist in the conflated Altnets, increased internal chaos, and tanked employee morale, while failing to add significant customers. Overall, in all the telco investments, well north of £750m of investor funds has been eye-wateringly frittered into other peoples bank accounts. And that surely cannot be a surprise – the Chairman boasts about being peremptorily fired by Apple, serially pipes funds to his favourite contractors for questionable deliverables, and hires acolytes who were responsible for the Talk Talk debacle, with it’s dire customer service, and ability to leak money faster than water through a sieve. Good luck with Aquila, it will leak through the same sieve.