LightSpeed Networks invest £685k in a new Midlands 25km fibre optic link

Broadband operator LightSpeed Networks, the wholesale side of UK ISP LightSpeed Broadband that has built their own full fibre (FTTP) network to cover c.360,000 premises across the East of England and Midlands (46 locations), has today announced a £685,000 investment in a new 25km long fibre link between Tamworth and Nuneaton. Some 12,000 homes should also benefit.

The new link aims to expand the operator’s high-speed connectivity infrastructure to five industrial estates and business parks across the Midlands, giving organisations across Atherstone and Wilnecote access to data speeds of up to 10Gbps (Gigabits per second).

The link serves the following business locations

• South West Atherstone: Carlyon & Netherwood Industrial Estates

• North Atherstone: Abeles Way Business Park

• Wilnecote: Centurion Park & Relay Park

The expansion is said to reflects LightSpeed’s wider strategy to make greater use of its established regional network, extending infrastructure into business locations where there is demand for enterprise-grade connectivity. The project is said to build on approximately £265 million in cumulative Group infrastructure investment across the East of England and Midlands, with LightSpeed’s core network now serving 46 towns and communities.

The link will also support a wider programme of residential network expansion. Together with associated infrastructure investment in Atherstone, Polesworth and Grendon, the programme represents approximately £4.4m of investment, supporting connectivity to around 12,000 residential premises across these communities.

The announcement also comes alongside a wider £4.4m programme of infrastructure investment supporting gigabit broadband connectivity to around 12,000 residential premises across Atherstone, Polesworth and Grendon.

Liam Hickey, Group CEO of LightSpeed Networks, said:

“Businesses increasingly depend on reliable connectivity to support their operations, applications and communications. This investment strengthens our regional infrastructure and creates further opportunities for organisations to access the connectivity and network services they need.

Our strategy is to make productive use of the network we’ve built, extending its reach into relevant business locations and supporting growth through both direct customer relationships and specialist partners.”

Lightspeed Networks added that their wider residential FTTP broadband footprint is expected to reach approximately 340,000 ready-for-service premises by the end of November 2026 (the 360k figure given earlier includes some built but not yet RFS premises). However, this is roughly the same figure as stated in September 2026.