What does the CityFibre deal really mean for our partners?


What does the CityFibre deal really mean for our partners?

Back in July we announced that we were to be acquired by CityFibre, the UK’s largest alternative provider of wholesale fibre network infrastructure. The deal completed in early August, which means that opportunities for channel businesses to effect change in our industry by driving differentiation and increasing competition are now very real indeed.

23 August 2017

[caption id="attachment_85" align="alignleft" width="128"]Elsa Chen, CEO Elsa Chen, CEO[/caption] Back in July we announced that we were to be acquired by CityFibre, the UK’s largest alternative provider of wholesale fibre network infrastructure. The deal completed in early August, which means that opportunities for channel businesses to effect change in our industry by driving differentiation and increasing competition are now very real indeed. From our perspective, we’ve effected more of a merger than a traditional acquisition. Entanet is the same business as it was two months ago. By this we mean that we’re just as ambitious as we’ve always been and we’ll continue to operate as we always did - with our partners at the heart of our business, and with the support mechanisms in place to enable channel businesses to grow. Existing partners will even get to deal with the same people that they always have. The reality of it is that the only operational change that will be felt by our partners is the increased product set available. What’s different is that CityFibre is a really strong addition to our portfolio - one that shifts our business into a different space. Entanet now offers wholesale access to CityFibre’s full-fibre network infrastructure and the amazing Gigabit speed services that are run over them. But we recognise that our continued growth will come from enriching what we offer, not by limiting it. So we’ll continue to offer everything that we’ve always offered and ensure that the choice of carrier and product remains in the hands of our partners and their customers. To that end all of our partners will continue to be able to access all of the fixed, wireless and mobile data connectivity services and hosted voice and telecoms from all of the carriers that were available prior to the acquisition. Of course CityFibre on-net Internet access and Ethernet availability will continue to increase over time, but in the meantime a quick chat with your Account Manager will determine if you have customers that are already on-net and who may benefit from a switch. But channel businesses can look beyond the immediate product-level opportunities to appreciate the full benefit of our coming together with CityFibre. Entanet is now a co-owner of physical infrastructure and has build capability as part of our extended DNA. This is crucial not only for the channel but for the country as a whole because it means that we have the opportunity to really challenge Openreach and build out a national full-fibre network to deliver the Gigabit speed services that everyone - Government included - recognises are needed to ensure that Britain keeps up with its European counterparts in a post-Brexit environment. The role that channel businesses - from the connectivity reseller to our market peers - play here is really important. By sharing information with us, they can help us to prioritise where new network investment is made and even champion better connectivity into areas where businesses are finding it especially tough to get the connectivity they need at an affordable price. It’s as simple as this: you tell us where the demand is and that’s where we’ll dig. With the channel on board, we have a chance to shape a brighter future for our whole industry and be witness to the ripple effect of transformation on the whole of the UK. And that is really really exciting. Have your say! Do you have any questions about the CityFibre acquisition of Entanet and how it will affect your business? Let us know with a comment below and we will answer as many as possible. Further Information [subscribe2]