Broadband ISP TalkTalk exits controlling UK stake in Telecom Acquisitions Ltd
The TalkTalk Group has this week relinquished its controlling stake in the Horsham-based Telecom Acquisitions Group (TAL), which is a holding company for a number of familiar retail broadband ISP brands (Home Telecom, Eclipse Broadband etc.). The move means that TAL is now operating as a totally separate company.
According to the latest update to company records on Companies House, which has been spotted by ISPreview, both the TalkTalk Telecom Group and TAL’s existing boss, Nigel Barnett, ceased holding significant control of the company on 8th September 2026. Previously TalkTalk held a controlling c.51% share of the company.
The development comes at an extremely difficult time for the TalkTalk Group, which on Friday last week finally confirmed they were in “advanced discussions regarding potential disposals of its PXC [wholesale] and TalkTalk Consumer [broadband] businesses“. The company currently appears to now be in the final 24-48 hours of trying to resolve its future, before another major bill is due to be paid to Openreach (said to be costing around £60m to £80m).
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At the time of writing TAL hasn’t yet put out an official press release on the change of control (we’ll update when this arrives), although ISPreview understands from our sources that their plan to go independent has been in the works for well over a year (this pre-dates TalkTalk’s current drama over the sale of their customer bases / remaining businesses).
TAL is now a totally separate company from the TalkTalk Group, apart from the usual trading / wholesale arrangements needed to support their retail ISPs. TAL currently controls the following UK broadband / telecoms brands: Home Telecom, Fleur Telecom, Eclipse Broadband, Open Fibre, Earth Broadband, No One Internet, Hive Telecom, and EZE Talk.
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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So at the moment there are no persons, either natural or corporate, with significant control of the business.
Although it looks like Santanedr UK plc have just loaned the business a significant amount.
How long do they get to fill in the blank?
I know that Companies’ House get very tetchy these days under the new rules.
Hopefully this business can continue to be a going concern.
TAL will be fine. This to me looks like the impending TalkTalk Group flop and limiting the “blast-radius” outside of their core businesses. I expect they’ll drop anything they can that isnt TTc/PXC. Especially if TalkTalk Group ends up holding debt and “walks away” from any other investments/partnerships etc.
I’m about to have my broadband upgraded on the 15th Oct, with full fibre to the premises, via Eclipse Broadband. Been with them for 20 years plus, in their various guises over the years.
Reading this is making me nervous and I’m wondering whether I should hold on until the dust settles, or a clearer picture is forthcoming! Or go to another provider maybe?
TAL (Telecom Acquisitions Ltd.) has just been re-financed by Banco Santander UK, following TalkTalk having disposed of their stake in the business.
(OK, it’s actually a rat’s nest of holding companies & subsidiaries, including Eclipse Broadband Ltd., but Santander would not be putting brand-new money into anything at risk from a possible TalkTalk collapse.)
If I were in your shoes, I would keep calm and carry on with your FTTP install via Eclipse.
I wouldn’t be nervous. Separating from TalkTalk actually makes TAL look more stable, rather than less.