After the summer break, Connected Britain was my first event of the autumn. It was a pleasure to reconnect with colleagues and friends and make new acquaintances. I attended in two capacities this year—as a representative of Inmanta, working alongside our partner Nomios, and promoting the podcast I co-host, DigitelTalk.
While I couldn’t attend many sessions, I gathered some key takeaways and impressions from walking the floor and engaging in conversations. The event’s primary focus was on FTTH (Fibre to the Home), its associated supply chain, and the high-stakes nature of the industry. The analogy of Game of Thrones seemed fitting, with clear winners and losers emerging in this competitive landscape.
Key Takeaways from Connected Britain:
1. The Reality of Network Build
The atmosphere at the event reflected the sobering reality of network construction. Building new networks is incredibly expensive, especially in a developed country where existing infrastructure and wayleave permissions must be considered even at the planning stage. This is a marathon, not a sprint, requiring stamina and resilience to endure.
2. Financial Strain and Consolidation
Rumours circulated that some of the 100-plus alternative network providers (alt-nets) are already facing financial difficulties, with some merely running on fumes. Consolidation seems inevitable, raising the question of who will achieve the critical mass to continue consolidating and who will be acquired.
3. Government Involvement
The UK government is heavily invested in commissioning operators to connect rural areas, ensuring ubiquitous connectivity. These projects have moved into the rollout and delivery phases, indicating significant progress in expanding network reach.
4. Market Dynamics
Although the market is growing overall, with incumbents BT and Virgin Media maintaining their positions, the alt-nets are steadily increasing their market share. This growth is reshaping the competitive landscape of the telecom industry.
Reflections and Recommendations
During my interview on the Broadband Bunch podcast, Pete Pizzutillo’s questions prompted me to reflect on what investors are looking for and what they can learn from the current market dynamics. Here are my thoughts:
Document Your Network:
If you’re building a network, ensure you document it comprehensively. This documentation is crucial for business operations and potential sales. Companies like MapallMap All can assist with managing and maintaining the “as-is” state of your build.
API Integration for Network Management:
Leading wholesale providers should offer APIs for both commercial operations and network lifecycle management. Strategic Imperatives is an interesting initiative on the commercial side, creating a common platform. For managing the service lifecycle, companies like Inmanta provide scalable, consistent, and resilient solutions with lower TCO, ensuring up-to-date inventory and security.
Value of Clean Architectures:
Investors value clean, highly automated architectures, which can increase valuation by 5% or more. Ensuring consistency and resilience in your network operations is key to attracting investment.
Role of Retail and Integrator Spaces:
I firmly believe in the evolving role of retail spaces in consumer communications and integrator spaces for B2B services. This extends to the SME domain, where businesses would greatly benefit from a one-stop shop for communication needs. Several MNO colleagues were in discussions with alt-nets to extend their offerings, highlighting this growing trend.
Connected Britain provided valuable insights into the current state and future of the telecom industry. I want to extend my thanks to Kontron for their innovative beer dispenser—an addition that should be standard in any data centre!
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to continuing these important conversations.
