Over the past decade, a new group of broadband infrastructure companies has emerged across the UK. These companies are commonly referred to as alternative networks, or “alt nets.”
Alt nets are independent operators that build their own full fibre broadband infrastructure, rather than relying on the Openreach network.
Most alt nets deploy FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) connections where fibre-optic cables run directly into homes and businesses. This allows them to offer very high broadband speeds, often reaching 1 Gbps or more, with significantly faster upload speeds than traditional copper-based broadband.
Alt nets have become a major force behind the expansion of full fibre coverage across the UK.
Why Alternative Fibre Networks Emerged
For many years, broadband infrastructure in the UK was dominated by the Openreach network, which originally evolved from the country’s copper telephone system.
While Openreach has been upgrading its infrastructure to full fibre, large national rollouts take time and require significant investment.
This created an opportunity for new companies to build modern fibre networks from scratch rather than upgrading legacy infrastructure.
Private investors, infrastructure funds and telecom companies began backing new fibre builders that could deploy gigabit-capable fibre networks in areas where demand for faster broadband was growing.
As a result, dozens of alternative network operators have launched across the UK.
Why Alt Nets Are Usually Limited to Certain Areas
Unlike national networks such as Openreach, most alt nets focus on specific regions or cities.
Building a fibre network requires digging trenches, installing ducts, running fibre cables and connecting individual properties. This process is expensive and time-consuming, so smaller network operators often concentrate on areas where rollout is financially viable.
Some alt nets focus on major cities, where dense housing allows them to connect large numbers of homes quickly.
Others specialise in rural areas, where traditional broadband speeds have historically been slower and demand for better infrastructure is high.
Because of this, alt net availability can vary widely. One street may have access to an alternative fibre network while the next neighbourhood may still rely entirely on Openreach infrastructure.
Examples of Major Alt Nets in the UK
Several alt nets have grown rapidly and now operate networks covering hundreds of thousands or even millions of premises.
Some of the largest alternative fibre networks in the UK include:
CityFibre
CityFibre is one of the largest independent fibre builders in the UK. The company focuses on building city-wide FTTP networks and often operates as a wholesale infrastructure provider, meaning multiple broadband providers can sell services using the CityFibre network.
Hyperoptic
Hyperoptic primarily focuses on apartment buildings and urban developments. The company installs fibre directly into buildings and offers high-speed symmetrical broadband plans.
Community Fibre
Community Fibre operates a large full fibre network in London, delivering very high-speed broadband to residential buildings and businesses across the city.
Gigaclear
Gigaclear focuses primarily on rural communities, building full fibre networks in villages and smaller towns that historically had limited broadband infrastructure.
Netomnia
Netomnia is a rapidly expanding fibre infrastructure builder that is deploying FTTP networks in multiple towns and cities across the UK.
B4RN
B4RN (Broadband for the Rural North) is a community-driven fibre network operating in rural areas of northern England.
Each of these networks operates independently and typically covers specific geographic regions rather than the entire country.
How Alt Nets Deliver Faster Broadband
Most alt nets deploy modern fibre networks based on FTTP technology, which means fibre cables run directly into the property.
This approach eliminates the performance limitations associated with copper wiring.
Because fibre transmits data using light, it can carry significantly more information over longer distances without signal degradation.
As a result, many alt nets offer:
• Gigabit broadband speeds
• Symmetrical upload and download speeds
• Lower latency for gaming and video calls
• More consistent performance during peak usage hours
In many areas, alt nets offer some of the fastest residential broadband plans available.
Alt Nets vs Openreach and Virgin Media
The UK broadband landscape now includes three main types of infrastructure networks.
Openreach operates the largest network in the country and provides wholesale access to many retail broadband providers such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone.
Virgin Media runs its own cable and fibre infrastructure that is separate from Openreach.
Alt nets operate independent full fibre networks that compete with both Openreach and Virgin Media in specific locations.
In some areas, households may have multiple infrastructure networks available, giving customers more choice and often driving more competitive broadband pricing.
Checking Alt Net Availability
Because alt nets build infrastructure in specific regions, availability depends entirely on whether a network has deployed fibre in your area.
Some properties may have access to multiple fibre networks, while others may still rely on traditional copper-based broadband.
The easiest way to find out which networks serve your address is to check using a broadband availability tool.
You can use our fibre availability checker to see which fibre networks and broadband providers operate in your area and compare available broadband plans.