Rajiv Datta, CEO, nexfibre
The UK has a clear ambition: to build a world‑class digital infrastructure that gives homes and businesses genuine choice and supports long‑term economic growth. But to get there, the market needs to evolve. Today, too many fibre networks remain small, fragmented and financially exposed, and the result is a sector that cannot deliver the scale or certainty required to compete effectively with BT Openreach.
That’s why consolidation is not a nice‑to‑have; it is fundamental to creating sustainable, nationwide competition. Bringing together networks strengthens resilience, unlocks investment and enables challengers to grow at the pace the UK’s digital future demands.
In February, we took a major step towards making this a reality through our proposed acquisition of Netomnia. This transaction will unlock £3.5 billion of capital, accelerate full‑fibre rollout and uptake, and create a scaled, stable wholesale alternative capable of competing with Openreach over the long term.
Combined with VMO2’s growing footprint, nexfibre will reach 20 million premises – offering ISPs a meaningful nationwide choice of wholesale partner, and giving communities across the UK the full‑fibre networks they need to thrive.
But realising these benefits depends on timely progress. Prolonged uncertainty doesn’t just pause one deal; it slows investment and leaves smaller networks more vulnerable in an already challenging market. Ensuring sensible consolidation can move forward will help protect customers, support industry stability and strengthen the UK’s digital foundations.
Government and regulators have been clear about their ambitions to boost growth and reduce barriers to investment. This transaction is an opportunity to turn that ambition into action; this is Britain’s Broadband Moment.
At nexfibre, we remain committed to building a balanced, competitive and future‑proof fibre market — one that delivers for households, businesses and the wider UK economy.