BE gets busy in channel
O2-owned wholesale broadband newcomer gets ready for channel push
O2-backed business broadband newcomer BE Wholesale has stressed its channel commitment as it looks to tempt apps specialists disgruntled with the market incumbents.
BE was acquired by Telefónica O2 six years ago and is now ready to make its first foray into the wholesale space. Dan Cunliffe, head of BE Wholesale, said its 1,300 UK exchanges give it 50 per cent more coverage than any other provider. BT has just 850, he added.
"Since the acquisition, there has been lots of investment in the network," he said. "I want to get the message out that we are a new player to people who have been used to BT and Cable & Wireless not delivering everything they want."
The sturdiness and coverage of BE's network will appeal to firms using high-end applications such as unified communications, said Cunliffe.
O2's deep pockets and good reputation in the SMB space will also help.
"We can get traction quite quickly; we have a fantastic consumer brand already," he added.