In January this year, it was confirmed that nationwide coverage of gigabit broadband sat at 81 per cent — firmly on track for the government’s objective of 85 per cent coverage by 2025. Further changes throughout the year signal a bright future for the UK’s technology landscape, including the Labour Party’s plans for national 5G coverage by 2030.

Paired with substantial footprint growth for altnets, which the Independent Networks Cooperative Association expects will reach 16.7 million premises by the end of 2024, the nation’s broadband options have  never shown so much potential. At MS3 Networks, our mission is to give people across the Humber region more choice in broadband provider. This is achieved through a growing number of ISPs on our network — we’ll have 40 by the end of 2024. However, our success rests on much more than simply expanding our choice of partners. So, what else has MS3 Networks accomplished this year?

Expanding connectivity to underserved areas

A significant milestone this year has been surpassing 200,000 premises across Hull and the Humber region. With each mile of fibre laid, we’re providing homes and businesses with access to fast, reliable connectivity.

An especially gratifying moment this year was connecting our 10,000th customer in Hull. This number represents not just a statistic, but an achievement made possible by our dedicated team and the partnerships we have forged within the community.

Our collaboration with Lincolnshire Housing Partnership (LHP) exemplifies our commitment to broadening access. Over 450 LHP tenants in Grimsby and Cleethorpes now have the option to connect to our ultrafast network, bringing greater choice and affordability to residents who, until recently, had limited broadband options.

Commitment to the community in Scunthorpe

Another of our proudest accomplishments is in Scunthorpe, with September marking the first anniversary of our full fibre network there. It’s an area where we see a lot of potential to make a difference, with an independent report we commissioned showing that our network could add £9 million to Scunthorpe’s GDP and create up to 100 local jobs.

Moreover, our partnership with Scunthorpe United Football Club and community-driven initiatives like the Pennies Make Pounds program with Lindsey Lodge Hospice demonstrate our commitment to giving back to the communities that support us.

Award-winning performance

One of the year’s highlights has been our recognition by several nationwide awards schemes. At the UK Fibre Awards, we proudly received awards in three major categories: Overall Fibre Provider of the Year, Best Wholesale Fibre Provider, and Executive Leadership Team of the Year. These accolades reflect our commitment to delivering unparalleled service quality, innovation and choice for our customers. We were also highly commended in the Best Sustainability Programme category, underscoring our dedication to sustainable and responsible practices.

In September, we also picked up two Comms National awards, celebrating a win for the Best altnet category for the second year running as well as an award for the Best partner support program.

Helping our partners thrive

To ensure our growing list of internet service provider (ISP) partners continues to serve local people with competitive broadband deals, we also pioneered a partner support program this year. Through Partner Plus, MS3 provides ISP partners with access to field and telesales teams that we manage, allowing them to reach more customers while incurring costs only for successfully connected homes.

This optional support has been transformative for smaller ISPs, empowering them to leverage full sales capabilities without the additional costs and logistical challenges typically associated with field sales. By giving our partners the choice to tap into a dedicated sales team, we’re actively fostering growth in areas where traditional marketing channels may fall short.

We also enjoyed a 500 per cent increase in orders through the channel between March 2023 and March 2024. A significant reason for this growth was the launch of our industry-first price comparison website that allows end-users to compare ISPs based on package, speed and cost.