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Neos Networks & Jisc support UK access to global education & research networks

  • Neos Networks

Launch of Janet South network and extension of UK Backbone network partnerships will keep UK education & research facilities connected globally with speeds of up to 100Gbps

LONDON, UK, 30 April  2019 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, today announces a new critical network contract with digital solutions provider for the UK education sector, Jisc. A pre-existing contract between the two companies has also been significantly extended, developing the connectivity framework required to improve the support for education and research across the UK, and access to the global research and education network.

Neos Networks’ core fibre network will be utilised by Jisc’s UK ‘backbone network’ for a further nine years until 2028, enabling data-intensive research centres including The Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and Imperial College London, access to significant bandwidth and speeds of up to 100Gbps.

As a result of the long-term success of the core backbone network, Jisc has chosen Neos Networks to refresh the Janet South network as part of the Jisc programme to develop a new Janet Network access infrastructure. The partnership will see seven BT exchanges unbundled and will utilise four existing Points of Presence to provide improved connectivity to 11 universities, including Southampton and Surrey, and 80 local colleges between Aldershot and Bournemouth. The seven-year deal is testament to the strong relationship the two companies enjoy.

By working closely together for almost 20 years, Jisc has been able to provide the critical connectivity required for a large number of UK education and research facilities, including access to CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. These partnership developments will ensure Jisc has the continued support of Neos Networks’ award-winning and secure network for another decade. In turn, Jisc’s customers will be able to seamlessly collaborate across not only the country but around the world, making classroom learning and collaborative research projects across vast geographies a real possibility thanks to high capacity, low latency networks.

Colin Sempill, MD, Neos Networks said: “Through utilising our expansive network and industry expertise, Jisc has been able to provide vital connectivity to some of the UK’s most critical education and research facilities. Thanks to our high capacity, low latency services these institutions can collaborate across the UK and the globe. We’re very excited to announce the launch of the Janet South Network partnership and further extension of the UK backbone network, which will keep vital institutions producing ground-breaking research and development for years to come, particularly as 5G and internet-enabled devices become more mainstream.

“Neos Networks views every customer individually and we understand that they require a tailored approach when it comes to their unique network requirements. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan and this is why we’ve built such a solid relationship with Jisc over nearly two decades.”

Jeremy Sharp, Janet Infrastructure Director, said: “The relationship between Jisc and Neos Networks originated in the early 2000s and, nearly 20 years later, the relationship continues to grow from strength-to-strength. A substantial level of trust has built up between our two companies and these new network contracts show our continued commitment to further develop this relationship.

“Over the past decade, we have rolled out a series of projects that have involved complex network design challenges and the Neos Networks team has always stood up to the challenge, providing reliable and diverse networks, and excelled at meeting all expectations.”

“Over the past decade, we have rolled out a series of projects that have involved complex network design challenges and the Neos Networks team has always stood up to the challenge, providing reliable and diverse networks, and excelled at meeting all expectations”.

Jeremy Sharp, Janet Infrastructure Director, Jisc

“We’re very excited to announce the launch of the Janet South Network partnership and further extension of the UK backbone network, which will keep vital institutions producing ground-breaking research and development for years to come”.

Colin Sempill, MD, Neos Networks

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Neos Networks launches SD-WAN solution to revolutionise IT estate management in UK

  • Neos Networks

IT architecture holding back innovation in enterprises – 40% cite IT agility as an issue

LONDON, UK, 16 April 2019 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, and part of SSE Group, today announces the launch of its new SD-WAN solution, targeting UK enterprises. Legacy WAN (Wide Area Networking) has so far, relied on physical on-premise data centres, which weren’t built to manage today’s enterprises. Increased data usage and critical dependence on the cloud has turned businesses on their heads and forced network managers to reconsider their network infrastructure. With SD-WAN, Neos Networks will give IT teams unprecedented visibility and central control over their IT estate, from which enterprise IT managers can benefit from increased agility – quickly and securely connecting branch users to applications via any underlying network without compromise.

Increasingly, businesses need real-time visibility of their network estate, and tools to optimise it. The lack of visibility – experienced by around half of IT decision makers – means businesses could be paying for bandwidth they don’t need and could be making use of expensive, resilient links that usually lie dormant waiting for failure. Neos Networks’ SD-WAN will give IT managers a central view of their IT estate and empower them to optimise traffic routes to critical applications. It will spot opportunities to enhance visibility, speed, flexibility and security.

Neos Networks is collaborating with two market-leading brands, utilising market-leading technology to deliver its SD-WAN solution: enterprise network technology expert Silver Peak, and specialist network systems integrator Axians. Both bring extensive SD-WAN knowledge and experience.

Why do businesses need to transform their networks?

WAN technology has remained unmoved for the best part of three decades. Traditional WAN architecture is increasingly unable to keep up with the demands of the digital workplace, however Neos Networks’ SD-WAN will bring agility by minimising the need for expensive routing hardware and improving business connectivity between branch locations, the head office, and the cloud.
Neos Networks’ SD-WAN solution can be offered flexibly, in line with the changing procurement demands of many modern businesses. The tool will enable network managers to deliver higher levels of application performance, directly supporting organisations on a digital transformation journey.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Silver Peak and Axians to launch our very own SD-WAN solution”, said Stephen Lawrence, Sector Director for Enterprise, Neos Networks. “It’s the next natural step in offering true digital transformation to UK enterprises. For us, SD-WAN is about providing a holistic view of an IT estate, having a secure and private network, enabling integrity, and a better end-user experience of application performance and availability, all whilst maximising uptime and benefitting from the efficiencies achieved”.

The partnership Neos Networks selected, with Axians and technology partner Silver Peak, will support their relentless focus on customer satisfaction and delivering service excellence. The company currently maintains an external NPS score of +22.

Allan Paton, Sales Director, UK & Ireland, Silver Peak said: “At Silver Peak, we’re proud to be recognised for developing a business-driven WAN edge platform that is globally acknowledged for its quality. Neos Networks’ impeccable customer service reputation makes them the ideal partner for future SD-WAN projects in a cloud-dependent world. Currently, there’s a big push for service providers to focus on opening up the network to improve business functionality and we’re pleased to collaborate to lead that initiative with our award-winning business-first SD-WAN technology.”

“There has never been a more exciting time than now when it comes to SD-WAN in the UK, and we’re proud to be working with connectivity market experts Neos Networks.” Said Chris Gilmour, CTO of Service Provider and Enterprise, Axians UK “Axians know that legacy enterprise networks are inefficient for today’s traffic, where requirements place a need on accessing cloud-hosted applications from any branch; traditional backhaul adds latency which impairs cloud application performance. The work Axians are doing with Neos Networks combined with Silver Peaks’ leading-edge technology shows that businesses can optimise the availability of clouds services in an agile and cost-effective way.”

“It’s the next natural step in offering true digital transformation to UK enterprises”.

Stephen Lawrence, Sector Director for Enterprise, Neos Networks

“Neos Networks’ impeccable customer service reputation makes them the ideal partner for future SD-WAN projects in a cloud-dependent world”.

Allan Paton, Sales Director, UK & Ireland, Silver Peak

“There has never been a more exciting time than now when it comes to SD-WAN in the UK, and we’re proud to be working with connectivity market experts Neos Networks”.

Chris Gilmour, CTO of Service Provider and Enterprise, Axians UK

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Neos Networks debuts cost-saving fibre broadband backhaul product for ISPs

  • Neos Networks

New Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) backhaul product will use ‘virtual unbundling’ to provide access to over 700 exchanges in key business areas

LONDON, UK, 09 April, 2019 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, and part of SSE plc – today launches a transformative solution for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to quickly improve their business and consumer broadband services, called Scalefast FTTC. Service providers (SPs), particularly ISPs with a fibre broadband offering or those seeking one, avoid the heavy costs of unbundling BT Openreach exchanges directly and instead virtually unbundle them leveraging Neos Networks’ existing footprint. Neos Networks will provide the data backhaul and offer a flexible usage-based billing model. Business and consumer broadband providers will retain control, keeping their direct relationship with BT Openreach and maintaining buying power.

The product is one of the first of its kind, and new to market, with a financially viable usage-based billing model, making it attractive in both the short and long-term. ISPs will benefit from the significant reduction to the CAPEX investment that direct unbundling involves. This speedier route to accessing exchanges also means businesses can test new regions more quickly. ISPs could be taking live customer orders within three months versus potentially longer time frames.

Scalefast FTTC will allow ISPs to utilise Neos Networks’ extensive network, expanding their footprint nationwide. Consumer and business broadband providers will be able to offer a resilient and business-grade network to their customers, whilst still controlling oversubscription, as multiple NNIs can be procured to contend with traffic.

UK network investment

Neos Networks has been steadily investing in its network through its expansion programme termed ‘Project Edge’. The latest phase, coined ‘Edge 3’, is made up of 177 BT Exchanges being unbundled in the coming year. Once the expansion plans are complete, Scalefast FTTC will offer virtually unbundled access to 733 exchanges, made up of 179 parent exchanges and 554 child exchanges.

Colin Sempill, Managing Director, Neos Networks explains: “Scalefast FTTC is a solution that gives customers the ability to virtually unbundle BT Openreach exchanges at very little capital or operational cost. We’re able to roll out this disruptive solution due to our ability to deliver competitive reach and pricing thanks to our Edge expansion programme and our continued commitment to connectivity excellence. With this high capacity core network and backhaul, businesses and consumers will be better-placed to utilise FTTC broadband services via ISPs”.

“Scalefast FTTC is a solution that gives customers the ability to virtually unbundle BT Openreach exchanges at very little capital or operational cost. We’re able to roll out this disruptive solution  due to our ability to deliver competitive reach and pricing thanks to our Edge expansion programme and our continued commitment to connectivity excellence. With this high capacity core network and backhaul, businesses and consumers will be better-placed to utilise FTTC broadband services via ISPs”.

Colin Sempill, Managing Director of Neos Networks

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Infracapital completes acquisition of 50% stake in Neos Networks

  • Neos Networks

Infracapital will pay £215m to mark the deal’s completion, and up to £165m in a series of instalments, subject to future performance

December 2018 saw Infracapital – the infrastructure equity investment arm of M&G Prudential – enter into an agreement with SSE plc to buy a 50% stake in Neos Networks for a total consideration of up to £380m. The initial £215m figure will be paid upon the completion, and a further £165m will be paid in a series of instalments, subject to future performance.

Neos Networks is one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, with a growing 12,000km UK-wide fibre network. Infracapital invests in, builds and manages a range of essential infrastructure to meet the changing needs of society, such as the demand for high-speed internet. Infracapital is an active investor in the telecoms infrastructure sector, having managed businesses throughout the UK and continental Europe, with a focus on delivering fibre networks.

This completion of the acquisition creates a shared ownership structure designed to accelerate Neos Networks’ plans for growth in the fibre sector, reaffirming its ambition to establish itself as a leading UK telecoms provider.  The partnership supports Neos Networks’ commitment to innovation and new technologies which are re-defining the market. The business will be in an ideal position to propel its existing projects and partnerships in areas such as 5G, SD-WAN and smart cities. The investment also provides an opportunity to further enhance the company’s customer service and delivery approach which is already a core differentiator in the market.

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Infracapital reached agreement to buy 50% stake in Neos Networks

  • Neos Networks

Infracapital, the infrastructure equity investment arm of M&G Prudential, have reached an agreement with SSE plc to buy a 50 per cent stake in Neos Networks for a total consideration of up to £380m.  The consideration comprises:

  • £215m to be paid on completion of the transaction which is expected by the end of June 2019; and
  • up to £165m to be paid in a series of instalments, subject to future performance

Neos Networks is one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, with a growing 12,000km UK-wide fibre network. It is committed to helping the UK realise its digital ambitions through infrastructure investment and innovation. Neos Networks will retain the SSE Group as a key funder and anchor customer whilst gaining from Infracapital’s experience of driving rapid growth, deep telecoms expertise and access to additional capital.

Infracapital invests in, builds and manages a range of essential infrastructure to meet the changing needs of society – such as the demand for high-speed internet. Infracapital is an active investor in the telecoms infrastructure sector having managed businesses throughout the UK and continental Europe, with a focus on delivering fibre networks.

The transaction will create a shared ownership structure designed to accelerate Neos Networks’ plans for growth in the fibre sector, reaffirming its ambition to establish itself as a leading UK telecoms provider.  The partnership supports Neos Networks’ commitment to innovation and new technologies which are re-defining the market. The business will be in an ideal position to propel its existing projects and partnerships in areas such as 5G, SD-WAN and smart cities. The investment also provides an opportunity to further enhance the company’s customer service and delivery approach which is already a core differentiator in the market.

This transaction aligns with the SSE Group’s strategy to create value for shareholders and society by giving each of its businesses, such as Neos Networks, the best platform from which to realise its full potential and maximise its future success.

Colin Sempill, Neos Networks Managing Director, said: “Infracapital’s investment in Neos Networks shows the confidence it has in the future growth of the business. It recognises the success we have achieved to date, building out a great network, winning notable contracts and being relentlessly focused on customer satisfaction. Both parties see this as an opportunity to help develop the network infrastructure that this country needs to turn the vision of the UK’s digital economy into reality.”

James Harraway, Infracapital Director, said: “High-speed connectivity is vital to economic growth and prosperity and we are delighted to announce this partnership with SSE plc.  Neos Networks is an established telecoms infrastructure provider and is well positioned to support growth in this critical sector. Infracapital has considerable expertise of investing in digital infrastructure and we look forward to working closely with our new partners as the business continues to grow, deliver new projects and expand its networks”.

“Infracapital’s investment in Neos Networks shows the confidence it has in the future growth of the business. It recognises the success we have achieved to date, building out a great network, winning notable contracts and being relentlessly focused on customer satisfaction. Both parties see this as an opportunity to help develop the network infrastructure that this country needs to turn the vision of the UK’s digital economy into reality.”

Colin Sempill, Managing Director of Neos Networks

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Neos Networks provides SIS LIVE with high capacity connectivity solution to enable seamless live television coverage

  • Neos Networks

Relationship helps SIS LIVE grow from 80 live venue broadcast contracts to 150 in just three years

LONDON, UK, 27 November, 2018 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, and part of SSE Group, today announces that a three-year partnership with critical broadcast connectivity provider SIS LIVE, now part of the NEP Worldwide Network, has helped support its acceleration as one of the fastest growing broadcast providers of critical fibre services. SIS LIVE, which will rebrand as “NEP Connect,” utilises Neos Networks’ expansive network and industry expertise to implement an aggressive expansion plan, growing their number of connected broadcast venues by over 85 percent.

With connectivity services now available across 150 venues, which include all Premiership football stadiums, racecourses, studios and broadcasters, SIS LIVE is able to provide a fully managed broadcast network service which can be configured each day, to suit each broadcasters’ specific needs. In fact, their specialised broadcast network equipment is embedded within Neos Networks’ core network which allows the broadcaster’s services to be truly managed end to end.

Together, the SIS LIVE and Neos Networks partnership enables the transmission of over 100,000 hours of live television footage each year – placing SIS LIVE as one of the biggest broadcast service companies in the UK. Peak points occur every weekend when British and international sports broadcasters rely on the brand to transmit uninterrupted visual data through the use of fibre and satellites. Major international sporting events such as test cricket, Premiership football and the FA Cup are all supported by this network.

It was Neos Networks’ consultative approach that drew SIS LIVE to partner with them. Unlike other telecoms operators, Neos Networks understood the operational urgency and strict timescales in which SIS LIVE must adhere to, in order to supply their broadcast customers with reliable connectivity services. In fact, at the time of partnering, multiple broadcasters relied on SIS LIVE to deliver their critical services.

The company has since gone on to support some of the UK’s most-watched feeds including 2018’s Royal Wedding, the FA Cup, and the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Supporting SIS LIVE’s core network and high bandwidth requirements further, Neos Networks recently announced an exciting two-year roll-out programme which will see them unbundle an additional 177 BT exchanges, extending their network reach to a further 180,000 UK business postcodes at even higher capacities of up to 100Gbps.

Colin Sempill, MD, Neos Networks said: “Neos Networks views every customer individually. A business such as SIS LIVE has very specific requirements around latency and capacity when supporting the delivery of live television. We understand the pressures and unique needs they have, and work in tandem with their project teams to be entirely transparent from start to finish. We see SIS LIVE as a partner with whom we’re building a lasting relationship to ensure sustained growth and prosperity for both parties.”

David Meynell, MD, SIS LIVE said: “Neos Networks has become our primary connectivity provider. They’re flexible and understand what we’re trying to do. It’s a transparent organisation with expertise that helps us take advantage of new technologies and maintain control of our network to ensure continued growth. We’re looking forward to continued momentum as our partnership goes from strength to strength.”

“Neos Networks views every customer individually. A business such as SIS LIVE has very specific requirements around latency and capacity when supporting the delivery of live television. We understand the pressures and unique needs they have, and work in tandem with their project teams to be entirely transparent from start to finish. We see SIS LIVE as a partner with whom we’re building a lasting relationship to ensure sustained growth and prosperity for both parties.”

Colin Sempill, Managing Director of Neos Networks

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Neos Networks, Three UK and Telefónica UK (O2) have agreed to support further fibre rollout in London

  • Neos Networks

Neos Networks’ high-capacity fibre ring in central London will link to Three UK and O2’s cell sites using London’s sewer system

LONDON, UK, 28 September 2018 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, and part of SSE Group, has today announced details of a fibre agreement with Three UK and O2 that will form the basis of enhanced fibre access in the country’s capital. The partnership centres around the use of Neos Networks’ fibre ring – where a proportion of the network is located in the Thames Water waste water network – to significantly enhance Three UK and O2’s connectivity backhaul capabilities and pave the way for further 4G and 5G deployment by connecting cell sites and masts.

A need for new fibre

The speed, consistency and ubiquity of 5G is expected to revolutionise consumer services, allowing for near-instant downloads of HD films, while underpinning next-generation technology enhancements such as connected cars, smart medical devices and smart cities. To make 5G a reality, deep, robust aggregation of fronthaul and backhaul access is necessary in order to provide greater resiliency, increase capacity and reduce latency.

The key requirement ahead of the launch of commercial 5G services is high capacity fibre connectivity, which must provide fast, reliable and secure backhaul to core networks, in order to be able to cope with the expected massive increase in data usage: according to Ofcom, UK data usage is set to grow thirteen-fold between 2017 and 2025.

Next generation mobile services are expected to begin in the UK in the second half of 2019 when the first 5G capable devices are released by manufacturers.

Why sewers could be the key to 5G

Following a deal struck in 2017, Neos Networks is licensed to lay fibre optic cables throughout Thames Water’s waste water network. Following the need for more pervasive networks, Neos Networks has sought new, innovative routes to create new fibre networks in key locations at a lower cost and with faster deployment times than traditional digs.

The agreement with Three UK and O2 will see approximately 100 points of connectivity exit from this central London sewer network via two BT Exchanges. By partnering with Neos Networks, Three UK and O2 can operate their own Central London Area (CLA) network, while also accessing spare fibre ducts for future initiatives in London.

“Networks will fundamentally underpin the UK’s digital economy and will be essential to 5G services” said Colin Sempill, Managing Director of Neos Networks. “With this high capacity core in the London sewers, Three UK and O2 are tapping into our unique, diverse connectivity and putting their networks in a strong position to trial 5G offerings, while enhancing existing services for their customers.”

Dave Dyson, Chief Executive Officer of Three UK added, “New and innovative models are essential to improving the customer experience of mobile networks by increasing the availability of dark fibre for mobile backhaul and driving competition in the market. Our partnership with Neos Networks and O2 is one of the first examples of using existing infrastructure to improve connectivity in an urban area.”

Brendan O’Reilly, Chief Technology Officer of O2 shared: “This kind of agreement is essential to allow for continued investment and improvement of services for our customers. This partnership is a great example of Neos Networks, Three UK and O2 coming together in a collaborative and innovative way to address the growing challenge and pressure of obtaining access to fibre for mobile backhaul in the UK”

“Networks will fundamentally underpin the UK’s digital economy and will be essential to 5G services. With this high capacity core in the London sewers, Three UK and O2 are tapping into our unique, diverse connectivity and putting their networks in a strong position to trial 5G offerings, while enhancing existing services for their customers.”

Colin Sempill, Managing Director of Neos Networks

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Neos Networks to unbundle 177 BT exchanges to enhance UK business connectivity

  • Neos Networks

Three UK will be first to use the enhanced network to underpin its 5G ambitions, while the project will bring over 180,000 new UK business postcodes into play for Neos Networks

LONDON, UK, 09 July 2018 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, and part of SSE Group, has today announced details of a major project to unbundle 177 BT exchanges, to meet the significant demand for high-capacity fibre connectivity amongst UK businesses. The project, which will be rolled out over the next two years, is due to double Neos Networks’ network reach by unlocking a further 180,000 business postcodes across the UK, as the company cements its commitment to the UK’s digital ambitions.

The roll-out is a significant investment in its own network by Neos Networks, with customers, prospects, MNOs – such as Three UK – and service providers all set to benefit from the enhanced network footprint.

By unbundling the exchanges, Neos Networks will effectively futureproof its offering with a network capable of delivering 100Gbps services. With this high capacity core network and backhaul provided by Neos Networks businesses will be better-placed to utilise fibre-to-the-premise and broadband services not currently feasible in the UK, which is amongst the worst in Europe for broadband speeds. The unbundling project places Neos Networks as one of only a handful of dedicated UK connectivity providers seeking to assist the government’s aim of “encouraging the market towards ubiquitous ultrafast services” through its own investment.

“We have always placed great pride in our network and ensuring that it is in the best possible shape to serve our customers both now and in the future,” said Colin Sempill, Managing Director of Neos Networks. “Legacy networks are coming under more strain as the demands placed on them potentially outweigh their capabilities. This rollout will guarantee 100Gbps services, putting the UK on the front foot to be a pioneering digital economy and making use of new technologies like 5G. Networks will underpin the connected society that many anticipate with 5G.”

Three UK has signed a deal with Neos Networks to use the connectivity from the 177 unbundled exchanges, following the recent announcement that Neos Networks is supporting its network expansion goals, including the anticipated rollout of 5G.

A key component for the launch of 5G services is high capacity fibre connectivity, which must provide reliable ultrafast backhaul to the core networks and masts. This will in turn need to increase ten-fold as the UK prepares for 5G. It will be substantially different than current 4G technology – potentially a thousand times faster – and will operate on significantly higher frequency with much larger bandwidths. Neos Networks has been selected by Three UK to deliver the required high capacity fibre connectivity between Three UK’s core data centres and the BT exchanges as it prepares for a 5G network rollout and improving 4G services. Three UK’s use of the 177 exchanges is the first of several potential unbundling phases.

“We’re dedicated to investing in our network to deliver the services our consumers want,” said Bryn Jones, Chief Technology Officer at Three UK. “High capacity networks will be the foundation on which 5G is built. We’re partnering with Neos Networks as their commitment to our requirements and the UK’s digital economy were clear from the outset.”

In unbundling the exchanges, Neos Networks is expanding the reach available to UK businesses and service providers, while ensuring greater reliability of performance at a more competitive price point, as there will be less reliance on incumbents. Batches of the new exchanges will be released over a two-year period and will eventually be available to quote and order via Neos Networks’ online price comparison engine, LIVEQUOTE.

“We’re dedicated to investing in our network to deliver the services our consumers want, high capacity networks will be the foundation on which 5G is built. We’re partnering with Neos Networks as their commitment to our requirements and the UK’s digital economy were clear from the outset.”

Bryn Jones, CTO of Three UK

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Neos Networks implements Infinera platform to deliver ‘dark fibre-like network’ across the UK

  • Neos Networks

Significant network connectivity deal extends reach to 96% of UK business postcodes.

London, UK, 16 May 2018 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, and part of SSE Group, today announced a connectivity partnership with Sky Business, to deliver new high-capacity Ethernet connectivity solutions to businesses across the UK. The agreement sees an expanded reach in footprint for Neos Networks, enabling them to access 96% of the UK’s business postcodes.

The partnership comes after a strong period of investment and growth for Neos Networks – with Ethernet orders up 186% since 2015 – and will result in Neos Networks and Sky working together to deliver high-capacity, cost effective Ethernet to businesses up and down the country. The move by Neos Networks to partner with Sky comes in response to market shifts which have encouraged the connectivity provider to seek more creative ways of providing reach and reliability to its customer base.

The partnership combines Sky’s nationwide telecoms and data network with Neos Networks’ expansive network to reach in excess of 3,000 exchanges. Sky provides Neos Networks with backhaul and last-mile services enabling their 200+ service provider customers to benefit from more choice and a wider reaching capability. The solution offers a highly resilient network, which includes automatic re-routing of traffic to avoid disruption.

With recent reports citing that private interconnection bandwidth is likely to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45% to hit 5,000TBps by 2020, (far outpacing that of public internet) both businesses anticipate that UK enterprises will increasingly look to secure competitive deals to support this demand. The partnership connects Sky with Neos Networks’ strong channel partner network, providing breadth of coverage across the UK business market while promising high-speed resilient Ethernet connectivity.

The service will also utilise Neos Networks’ dedicated support team. This is a significant value-add for UK businesses, as both Neos Networks and Sky are known for their industry-leading customer service and rapid delivery timescales.

In fact, Neos Networks recently celebrated a maintained NPS score of +50%.

David Rey, Managing Director of Sky Business said: “We’re excited to be partnering with Neos Networks who, like Sky, take customer experience very seriously. We wanted a partner who could deliver service excellence whilst leveraging the network Sky has proudly built. By joining forces, we are helping UK businesses to realise their potential as the need for bandwidth grows”.

Colin Sempill, Managing Director, Neos Networks explains: “Over the next few years UK businesses will demand better core network bandwidth, and our partnership with Sky directly addresses that need. For us it’s all about giving the wholesale market clarity of choice, where it can sometimes be confusing, and the quality is not always there. With this deal we’re providing one place for businesses to source a truly market-competitive price for high-capacity bandwidth services to support their growth needs.”

Find out more about why we decided to partner with Sky and where their 3000+ Sky PoPs are located here.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Neos Networks who, like Sky, take customer experience very seriously. We wanted a partner who could deliver service excellence whilst leveraging the network Sky has proudly built. By joining forces, we are helping UK businesses to realise their potential as the need for bandwidth grows.”

David Rey, Managing Director of Sky Business

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Sky expands wholesale connectivity offering by partnering with Neos Networks

  • Neos Networks

Significant network connectivity deal extends reach to 96% of UK business postcodes.

London, UK, 16 May 2018 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, and part of SSE Group, today announced a connectivity partnership with Sky Business, to deliver new high-capacity Ethernet connectivity solutions to businesses across the UK. The agreement sees an expanded reach in footprint for Neos Networks, enabling them to access 96% of the UK’s business postcodes.

The partnership comes after a strong period of investment and growth for Neos Networks – with Ethernet orders up 186% since 2015 – and will result in Neos Networks and Sky working together to deliver high-capacity, cost effective Ethernet to businesses up and down the country. The move by Neos Networks to partner with Sky comes in response to market shifts which have encouraged the connectivity provider to seek more creative ways of providing reach and reliability to its customer base.

The partnership combines Sky’s nationwide telecoms and data network with Neos Networks’ expansive network to reach in excess of 3,000 exchanges. Sky provides Neos Networks with backhaul and last-mile services enabling their 200+ service provider customers to benefit from more choice and a wider reaching capability. The solution offers a highly resilient network, which includes automatic re-routing of traffic to avoid disruption.

With recent reports citing that private interconnection bandwidth is likely to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45% to hit 5,000TBps by 2020, (far outpacing that of public internet) both businesses anticipate that UK enterprises will increasingly look to secure competitive deals to support this demand. The partnership connects Sky with Neos Networks’ strong channel partner network, providing breadth of coverage across the UK business market while promising high-speed resilient Ethernet connectivity.

The service will also utilise Neos Networks’ dedicated support team. This is a significant value-add for UK businesses, as both Neos Networks and Sky are known for their industry-leading customer service and rapid delivery timescales.

In fact, Neos Networks recently celebrated a maintained NPS score of +50%.

David Rey, Managing Director of Sky Business said: “We’re excited to be partnering with Neos Networks who, like Sky, take customer experience very seriously. We wanted a partner who could deliver service excellence whilst leveraging the network Sky has proudly built. By joining forces, we are helping UK businesses to realise their potential as the need for bandwidth grows”.

Colin Sempill, Managing Director, Neos Networks explains: “Over the next few years UK businesses will demand better core network bandwidth, and our partnership with Sky directly addresses that need. For us it’s all about giving the wholesale market clarity of choice, where it can sometimes be confusing, and the quality is not always there. With this deal we’re providing one place for businesses to source a truly market-competitive price for high-capacity bandwidth services to support their growth needs.”

Find out more about why we decided to partner with Sky and where their 3000+ Sky PoPs are located here.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Neos Networks who, like Sky, take customer experience very seriously. We wanted a partner who could deliver service excellence whilst leveraging the network Sky has proudly built. By joining forces, we are helping UK businesses to realise their potential as the need for bandwidth grows.”

David Rey, Managing Director of Sky Business

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Neos Networks signs deal to support Three UK’s network ambitions

  • Neos Networks

Initial agreement will bring 20 of Three UK’s core data centres ‘on-net’ for 5G preparation, cementing Three UK and Neos Networks’ commitment to the UK’s digital economy as leading connectivity providers

London, UK, 1 May 2018 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, and part of SSE Group, has today announced a major contract agreement with Three UK, which will see the two companies working together to support the mobile network’s growth and expansion goals. In the first phase of the partnership, which commenced in April 2018, Neos Networks has begun facilitating fibre optic connections for Three UK’s 20 core data centres, which form part of its broader network footprint. The deal is expected to support Three UK’s network transformation, preparing it for an eventual 5G rollout and helping to deliver an enhanced 4G network experience for consumers.

The data centre connection contract is part of a multi-million pound phased agreement that will also see Neos Networks and Three UK unbundle BT exchanges in the coming years. Three UK has recently reported adding 900,000 new customers in 2017, with its 10 million customers averaging 6.8GB data usage per month – more than three times the mobile data consumption of the average UK user. As such, Three UK is investing in its next generation network to prepare for ever increasing consumer demands and the future growth of its business, including the rollout of 5G, as more pressure and demand is placed on existing infrastructure.

The deal also demonstrates Neos Networks’ ongoing commitment to bringing strategically placed commercial data centres onto its network, as well as playing a part in improving UK connectivity. Neos Networks is one of a handful of dedicated UK connectivity providers seeking to assist the government’s aim of “encouraging the market towards ubiquitous ultrafast services”, as well as improving the connectivity options of its current and future customer base.

“Our continued investment has made us the go-to network provider to help UK businesses unlock their growth potential,” said Colin Sempill, Managing Director of Neos Networks. “As a connectivity provider, we understand how integral network infrastructure is to allow technologies like 5G to reach their vast potential. We’re excited at the opportunity to assist Three UK in its journey to bring unrivalled experiences to its customers while offering new connection options to our own.”

“We are putting our network on the best footing possible to meet the current and future demands of consumers. Our customers use up to 3.5 times more data than the rest of the UK, a demand which is only going to increase as we move towards a 5G world,” said Bryn Jones, Chief Technology Officer at Three UK. “The decision to select Neos Networks to assist us on this journey was straightforward. Their knowledge and ambitions for UK connectivity were clear and made them the natural choice.”

Industry estimates suggest next generation mobile services are expected to be available in 2020.

“We are putting our network on the best footing possible to meet the current and future demands of consumers. Our customers use up to 3.5 times more data than the rest of the UK, a demand which is only going to increase as we move towards a 5G world. The decision to select Neos Networks to assist us on this journey was straightforward. Their knowledge and ambitions for UK connectivity were clear and made them the natural choice.”

Bryn Jones, CTO at Three UK

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Neos Networks counters DFA ruling with innovative ‘fibre in the sewers’ Thames Water partnership

  • Neos Networks

The agreement will allow networks to be created up to 10 times faster; more directly and securely, in key business areas such as the City of London using the waste water network.

London, UK, 14 November 2017 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, and part of SSE plc – today announced that it has signed an ‘operating licence to deploy’ agreement with Thames Water, enabling the distribution of Neos Networks’ fibre optic cables throughout Thames Water’s waste water network. The deal comes as Neos Networks seeks new, innovative routes to expand its footprint.

A consequence of the recent Dark Fibre Access (DFA) ruling – that rival providers will not be able to access BT Openreach’s existing fibre optic cables to increase competition and end user services – has meant that Neos Networks has sought new and creative ways to enable connectivity.

Tapping into waste water networks

Traditionally, telecoms networks have been created and expanded through civil construction ‘digs’, that involve laying cables just below the surface – a costly, time-intensive and disruptive way of establishing new connections. By utilising Thames Water’s already existing waste water system, Neos Networks will be able to reduce network deployment costs by 60% and deploy connectivity services up to 10 times faster than through traditional digs.

Through the partnership, Neos Networks will be able to establish a more physically secure network. Thames Water’s network sits as deep as 10 metres underground, making it much less susceptible to tampering or inadvertent outages, compared to conventional digs, in which telecommunications cable is laid as shallow as 12 inches below ground level. Laying fibre services deeper below the surface ensures the network is less vulnerable to accidental fibre breaks.

As utility companies, with common values of security and reliability, the partnership also underpins Neos Networks and Thames Water’s aim to deliver excellent customer services.

“Businesses fundamentally rely on their network to underpin everyday operations,” said Mike Magee, Director of Service Solutions at Neos Networks. “With an ever-increasing demand for connectivity, network infrastructures require higher resiliency and improved diversity. Estimates suggest there are as many as 3,000 enterprises in the finance and insurance sectors in the City of London area alone, each vying for connectivity. This has made the demand for unique, truly diverse network routes hard to achieve. We’ve identified a way to solve this by leveraging the waste water network”.

Unique routing and a bespoke offering

The geographic spread of Thames Water’s waste water network means that Neos Networks is well-positioned to offer bespoke, customer-driven network build-outs to leading risk-averse businesses in London and further afield.

“With the sensitive information that large businesses and financial services firms hold, coupled with regulatory pressures, networks must be secure and robust. But it shouldn’t be forgotten that network deployment is about competitive advantage – being able to provide a guaranteed, instant customer experience is no longer a ‘nice to have’. As technology changes and new innovations are released, it is essential that networks can cope with increased capacity requirements and have the ability to easily scale their connectivity services to meet this need. Our ‘operating licence to deploy’ with Thames Water allows us to be one of few to genuinely fit the sector’s needs” said Magee.

The deal also allows Thames Water to utilise its existing infrastructure without any disruption to general operations, while meeting EU and UK guidelines and helping to support the UK’s digital strategy. A section of the European Commission’s Digital Single Market Directive on access to existing physical infrastructure recommends that making use of all relevant and available physical infrastructure for the roll-out of communication networks will enhance efficiencies, minimise costs and accelerate the deployment of connectivity.

“Our Victorian sewers are already home to a number of pipes and cables belonging to other utility companies and we’re glad to also now be supporting Neos Networks,” said Richard Hill, Head of Property, Thames Water. “Reducing roadworks and traffic congestion is something hugely important to us, so it’s great to help a fellow utility company do the same by allowing them to make use of our existing infrastructure.”

In recent years, Neos Networks has made significant investment in its UK-wide network. This ensures that the company is strategically placed to connect both densely populated and remote sites. Neos Networks recently announced the third phase of its network expansion programme, Project Edge, which brings the total number of exchanges served by its national fibre network to 140, with 300,000 prime business postcodes served.

“Businesses fundamentally rely on their network to underpin everyday operations. With an ever-increasing demand for connectivity, network infrastructures require higher resiliency and improved diversity. Estimates suggest there are as many as 3,000 enterprises in the finance and insurance sectors in the City of London area alone, each vying for connectivity. This has made the demand for unique, truly diverse network routes hard to achieve. We’ve identified a way to solve this by leveraging the waste water network.”

Mike Magee, Director of Service Solutions at Neos Networks

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Neos Networks selected to help deliver hyperfast, 1Gbps connectivity to £800 million Aberdeen development to make it ‘the most connected community in Scotland’

  • Neos Networks

Grain chooses Neos Networks to create fibre-to-the-home network for Aberdeen’s Countesswells development

London, UK, 10 October 2017 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, and part of SSE Group, today announced that it has won a competitive tender from advanced fibre broadband specialists Grain to deliver network connectivity to Countesswells, a new £800 million development in Aberdeen.

Countesswells will become home to a new community of residents, schools and businesses five miles outside of Aberdeen. The development represents a significant investment in new housing, job prospects and infrastructure to support the local economy. When completed, the new community will comprise 3,000 homes, two primary schools and an academy, community facilities, shops, offices, playparks and civic spaces all set within landscaped parkland and the existing woodland.

Connectivity takes centre stage

Connectivity is set to be key to the appeal of Countesswells, after developer Stewart Milne Group identified the need for a state-of-the-art gigabit fibre network, in light of recent property developments that have been plagued with insufficient broadband connections. Connectivity in the north-east of Scotland is also high on the UK Government agenda, with the recent news that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils will each receive around £10m to test innovative ways of connecting offices and public sector buildings with the next generation of broadband.

To deliver the planned hyperfast connectivity – which will measure at up to 35 times faster than the average UK download speed – Grain needed a network partner that had a national fibre backbone that could support these high speeds, while offering uncontended connectivity. Seamless connectivity will become increasingly important as the average number of connected devices per family household rises to 50 by 2022, with more strain put on domestic broadband connections.

Neos Networks’ ever-expanding network and previous experience assured Grain that it had selected the right partner to meet immediate and long-term objectives.

“Neos Networks’ reputation for reliability and service delivery were important factors in our decision, but equally important was its expansive network reach,” said Rich Robinson, Managing Director, Grain. “We are thrilled to be able to offer Countesswells residents access to the country’s latest and most advanced communications technology. Together with Neos Networks we are establishing a true fibre community network to Countesswells, delivering direct connections from the internet to the router in each property, ensuring absolutely no congestion is experienced at peak times.”

Mike Magee, Director of Service Solutions at Neos Networks, said: “As the development progresses over the next 15 years, the fibre network will be available for all new residents as they move into their homes, ensuring they benefit from hyperfast broadband and a crystal-clear fibre connection from day one. We’re glad to be able to use our expertise and growing network to work with Grain to offer cutting-edge connectivity.”

The new Countesswells community is starting to take shape: with the major new infrastructure well underway, extensive tree planting and landscaping undertaken and 100 of the new homes already built and new residents moving in.

Allan McGregor, Project Director, Countesswells, said: “As part of our vision to make Countesswells the most connected community in Scotland, we made the decision to install the best fibre network at the outset. To achieve this, it’s important that we partnered with the best providers, and Grain and Neos Networks have given us confidence and assurance from the beginning. From the day they move in, residents will have a guaranteed high-speed connection.”

In recent years, Neos Networks has made significant investment in its UK-wide network. This ensures that the company is strategically placed to connect remote sites. Neos Networks recently announced the third phase of its network expansion programme, Project Edge, which brings the total number of exchanges served by its national fibre network to 140, with 300,000 prime business postcodes served.

“Neos Networks’ reputation for reliability and service delivery were important factors in our decision, but equally important was its expansive network reach.”

Rich Robinson, Managing Director at Grain

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CAS(T) certification marks government-grade excellence in security for Neos Networks

  • Neos Networks

Neos Networks awarded CAS(T) certification for its layer one optical and layer two Ethernet network services.

London, UK, 12 September 2017 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity and business telecoms suppliers, and part of SSE plc – today announced it has been certified by KPMG and the National Cyber Security Centre to the CAS(T) UK Government standard for telecommunications companies for its layer one Optical Wavelength and layer two Ethernet network services. CAS(T) provides assurance to customers that their systems and services are adequately protected against risks to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information classified as HM Government OFFICIAL.

A major driving force in reducing the concern of potential physical or cyber-related threats is becoming CAS(T) accredited. In winning this accolade Neos Networks assures customers in the public and private sector, as well as partner systems integrators and outsourcers, that it can deliver connectivity to the CAS(T) assured standard. This, coupled with the recent network sharing deal signed between Neos Networks and Capita, further boosts connectivity between systems integrators and service providers serving the public sector.

The CAS(T) certification – which stands for CESG (Communications Electronics Security Group) Assured Services (Telecommunications) – involves an independent assessment focused on the key security areas of: service availability, insider attack, unauthorised access to the network and physical attack. Firewalls, authorisation processes, access policies and the physical vulnerability of the network were all analysed. Once the assessment was completed, the recommendation report was submitted to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) which approved the certification.

‘Secure and available’ foundations

Neos Networks has a long heritage of going above and beyond to ensure customers are safeguarded on a much broader scale as part of its parent company, SSE Group. Clayton Tudor, Head of Network Operations at Neos Networks explains: “To put it into context, SSE Group is responsible for the management of some of the UK’s most critical infrastructures – power stations, hydro-electric dams and the like – we ensure their connectivity is undisturbed. The CAS(T) accreditation recognises the stringent measures we have put in place for our public and private sector telecoms customers.”

Tudor adds: “In addition to the regular stress testing we conduct on our own services, we have a controlled access set-up, whereby no supplier is able to gain access to the network without authorisation at the time of connection. We also have a real-time physical awareness of all assets, so we can pinpoint an issue in the unlikely event of a compromise. The Government’s Cyber Breaches Survey reported nearly half (46%) of all UK organisations suffered a cyber-security incident in the last year, with critical infrastructures like hospitals as key targets. We fully recognise the role networks play in preventing and deflecting potential threats to the network and connectivity.”

Customer support and customer excellence are also vital components of this accreditation reveals Colin Sempill, Managing Director at Neos Networks: “We’ve taken several steps to vet and ensure excellence in our own customer support services, which this CAS(T) accreditation embodies. Not only do we apply an individual NPS score to each customer service case, our transactional NPS score of 70+ places us on par with the consumer tech industries’ greatest innovators.”

“The certification is our first in the public sector space and means we will be working more closely with our systems integrator partners who sell directly to the public sector. It also marks our commitment to support the UK’s ‘Digital Strategy’ – a nationwide initiative for secure, high-capacity, reliable connectivity for business.”

“To put it into context, SSE Group is responsible for the management of some of the UK’s most critical infrastructures – power stations, hydro-electric dams and the like – we ensure their connectivity is undisturbed. The CAS(T) accreditation recognises the stringent measures we have put in place for our public and private sector Telecoms customers.”

Clayton Tudor, Head of Network Operations at Neos Networks

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Neos Networks launches Cloud Connect service, syncing businesses with leading cloud service providers

  • Neos Networks

Cloud Connect solution delivers dedicated service connecting business-critical networks to the public cloud

London, UK, 31st July 2017 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity suppliers, and part of SSE Group, today announced the availability of high-speed connectivity between businesses and their preferred cloud service providers (CSPs), such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. The service, known as Cloud Connect, offers businesses a private dedicated Ethernet connection to their chosen CSP, delivered over Neos Networks’ core network. This enables the service to bypass the public internet, which can carry a range of security and performance issues.

Recently IDC reported that cloud computing spend alone is growing at four and a half times the rate of IT spend, and has been since 2009. What’s more, it’s expected to grow at better than six times the rate of IT spending from 2015 through 2020. With more businesses moving away from traditional IT models and investing in private, public or hybrid cloud models, it is essential that those investing in public cloud applications do not suffer the performance issues often associated with accessing applications via the public internet. Neos Networks’ Cloud Connect service supports a range of bandwidths and allows access to multiple CSPs from its redundant by design platform.

Cloud Connect will be available through Neos Networks’ easy-to-navigate, price comparison engine, LIVEQUOTE, which allows users to generate competitive quotes in real-time for Cloud Connect as well as dedicated Ethernet circuits using both their own network as well as that of leading third parties.

Jeff Smith, Head of Product Development at Neos Networks explains: “As a connectivity provider, we see a sizeable amount of UK businesses looking to migrate legacy services to a number of different cloud or Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) environments. We’re launching Cloud Connect in direct response to our customers’ need for reliable, high-capacity access to public cloud services. As business-critical applications become more data-heavy, businesses require more reliable, efficient and secure connections. Our Cloud Connect service enables these businesses to connect directly with the award-winning cloud service providers of their choice.”

Customer excellence promise

With Cloud Connect, Neos Networks ensures the same standard of SLA as offered on its current Ethernet network alongside year-round, in-house customer support. Neos Networks’ commitment to real-time customer service has seen it take major steps in recent years to self-assess effectiveness. This manifests in a competitive transactional NPS score of 70+, positioning it among the UK’s most prolific innovators.

“At the beginning of 2017, IDC predicted global spending on IT infrastructure for off-premises cloud deployments would experience double-digit growth. Using our solution is the missing link that promises businesses the secure connection to the public cloud services they will increasingly rely on for mission-critical applications. Not only this, but it ensures that their cloud connection is expertly provisioned for, tailored and maintained throughout its lifecycle” said Smith.

“We’re launching Cloud Connect in direct response to our customers’ need for reliable, high-capacity access to public cloud services. As business-critical applications become more data-heavy, businesses require more reliable, efficient and secure connections. Our Cloud Connect service enables these businesses to connect directly with the award-winning cloud service providers of their choice.”

Jeff Smith, Head of Product Development, Neos Networks

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